Loved By The Gods
by MadamKabooshkwa
Summary: Sakura has lived many times longer than the average human being, and with her strange powers comes the fear of the villagers. Her entire life changes when she meets the God of her homeland, and is given an unwarranted proposal by a certain prince.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyoneeee  
** **Here's my next story, Loved By The Gods. I've written out the complete story, but I still need to flesh out some of the chapters. It took me a while to get this one to the point that I actually liked it. Mind you, I'll probably come back to it in six months and cringe, but oh well (lol)**

 **Umm, just a warning that this story does contain some violence, a bit of abuse and a little bit of sex. So if that's not your thing, now's the chance to run away to blanket mountain.**

 **Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The small village of Alyrias was located on the outskirts of a lush, green forest, with a stream running through its centre, from which the villagers collected their water. Most of the buildings were very small and built of bricks and stone and the market that ran in the centre of the village was always busy with people buying and selling.  
As it was a small town, nothing could be hidden from anyone. There were always prying eyes around every corner, and word spread incredibly fast.  
So, it was no surprise to anyone who lived there that there was a woman who lived amongst them that didn't quite fit in.

Sakura carried her basket of freshly picked fruit and herbs on her arm, humming a soft tune to herself as she walked along the path towards her small house. She had just finished collecting her fruit from within the forest-she knew all the best places to go to find the sweetest berries and juiciest apples. She knew where to find all kinds of herbs and what parts of the forest to stay away from. She had the place memorised like the back of her hand.

As she walked, she spotted a small child on the ground, wailing at the top of her lungs.  
Sakura knew she should just keep moving, but her mind screamed and protested, telling her to help the child.  
She knew that going near the young child would surely incur the wrath of her parents, but the child was obviously hurt, and she couldn't just _leave_ her there.  
She battled with herself for a moment, but then sighed.

She walked over to the child and knelt on her knees, smiling softly.  
"Hey, is something the matter?" she asked kindly.  
The small girl sniffled and looked to her bleeding knee. Sakura spotted the cut and smiled, "Did you fall over?"  
The little girl nodded and started wailing again.

"Hush now, everything will be alright." Sakura said softly, lifting her hand to the injured knee. A soft, pale glow wrapped around her hand and the wound started to heal. "There, see?"

The girl stopped crying as she realised the pain was gone and her knee was perfectly fine.  
"Thank you, miss!" the little girl smiled gleefully and then jumped back up to her feet, running off to continue playing.  
Sakura waved after her, relieved to see her smiling again. Then, she stood and carried on to her small home just around the corner.

Sakura lived alone. She had grown up with her beautiful cousin, Tomoyo, who she truly treasured as one of her closest friends, but unfortunately Tomoyo had left the village shortly after getting married. She hadn't heard from her since.  
It had been many, many years since then. Too many to count.  
So many years, he couldn't even remember her family. It was all a blur now. They had all passed away long ago. Sometimes she found herself wondering when she would forget their faces-how long would it take before she couldn't even remember her childhood? She was used to being alone. Being forgotten. Being ignored. But still-she longed to feel another's warm touch and to share her life with someone.

But that would never happen.

Not with her.

Sakura sighed softly as she shut the heavy wooden door behind her. Her house smelt of fresh spring flowers and earth. She walked over to her table and placed the basket down gently before sorting through its fresh contents.  
She placed the herbs away and put the fruit into a large bowl before sitting down. She was exhausted from her long outing, but she needed food to survive and the villagers weren't kind to her.

She was different to them. She had watched countless children grow old and pass away, all while she remained in the body of a young adult. A body that never aged.  
People didn't know what she was, therefore they feared her strange ability. Her strange powers had long been a cause for the villagers to hate her, to fear her.  
She didn't understand.  
She didn't understand why she was different to everyone else, why she had these strange abilities.  
She had prayed to the god who guarded their village for answers, begging to be heard. She wanted to know why she was the way she was, why she was so different from the regular human being.  
But she never got an answer. All she received was silence.

After a few long moments of thinking to herself, she stood and walked over to her bed.

Her house didn't have any extra rooms. Her bed was tucked into a corner and she had a small bookshelf with a few books sitting on the shelves tucked away against a wall. A handmade rug spread across the floor beneath her feet, and in the far corner was where she prepared all her meals. The fire place remained empty, but she made a mental note to light it a little later before it got dark so that she wouldn't freeze.

Sakura lay down on her soft sheets and closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

...

A sharp knock at her door woke Sakura from her slumber. She looked around the room, realising it was incredibly dark. She shivered from the cold and cursed herself for not waking sooner to light the fire place.  
"Coming!" she called out, carefully sitting up.

Rubbing her arms in a vain attempt to warm herself up, she stood and walked over to the door. Carefully, she unhooked the latch and opened the door, but frowned in confusion when she saw that no one was there.  
She assumed it was just another prank by some teenager or child and was about to turn and head back inside when hands grabbed her and dragged her from her doorway. She shrieked with surprise, and soon came to notice three men were hauling her down the street.  
"Are you trying to curse my daughter too?" the man on her right hissed at her.  
"What-no! I would never-" horrified, she tried to protest, but she winced as his grip tightened around her arm painfully, sure to leave a bruise.  
"Please, let go of me." She begged, "I was just trying to help her-she fell and hurt herself and I was worried."  
But they didn't listen to her pleas to leave her alone.

She was forced through the dark forest, freezing in her light clothes, until they came to a stop at the edge of a lake. It was a lake Sakura knew well-that everyone knew well.  
The lake guarded by the goddess of water.  
If you dared to enter the lake, you were sure to incur the wrath of the goddess herself.

"Come near my daughter again, and I'll kill you."

Then, without having any time to react, Sakura felt herself being lifted and tossed into the icy river.

She felt herself sinking and couldn't summon her ability to help herself. The cold was too much of a shock to her system. Her chest ached for oxygen and she choked on the water, her vision starting to darken. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, she thought she saw the silhouette of someone, but before she could comprehend it, she blacked out.

 _'Why god? Why me?'_

...

Many would think that the life of a god was easy and simple, given the vast amount of power they had. However, that was not the case. Syaoran had a pact with the small village of Alyrias that went back hundreds of years. The village would present their offerings, and in return he would protect them from all threats and ensure their survival and safety.

He rarely meddled in their human affairs. The only times he stepped in were when it was absolutely necessary.  
He listened to the people's prayers, and very occasionally would he grant a wish.  
He watched the children grow and prosper, and then pass on leaving behind another generation.

Syaoran watched the small village tiredly. Briefly, he wondered how many years it had been since the day he'd made that promise to the village. It had been several hundred years, possibly a few thousand. He wasn't sure anymore. It wasn't like he experienced time the same way a human did, anyway.

He saw a small child running up a path and she tripped and fell, injuring her knee. He watched as the child wailed loudly for a long time, waiting for her to stop when she finally realised she would get no attention.  
He had seen this occur hundreds of times before-the regular behaviour of a human child-so he wasn't particularly worried.

Then he spotted a young woman with short auburn hair. She appeared to be in conflict with herself about something, but then she moved over to the child and started talking to her.

He was familiar with this woman. She had been alive longer than most, which was not unusual for someone like her. He often kept watch over her-he knew what she was, after all, but there was no need for her to know. Not yet.  
There were times where he stood at her side while she cried herself to sleep, keeping his existence a secret from her. Other times he watched her while she kept herself busy, weaving tapestries and baskets and sewing clothing.

One of her tapestries hang on the wall in his house-an offering she had left behind one year when she was unable to leave anything else. He remembered the guilt she felt that year as she sat in front of the small shrine in the heart of the forest. He remembered the accident that had caused her tremendous amount of guilt, the accident in which she had hurt several people in the act of protecting herself.  
The act that had caused the entire village to despise her.  
It hadn't been her fault-not at all-but he knew how she tore herself apart over what happened, how she felt it was all her fault and that she was entirely to blame. He wanted to hold her and tell her it was alright, that she shouldn't rip herself apart the way she did, but he couldn't.

He watched her as she healed the child, who thanked her happily and then ran off. The woman waved after her and continued to her home.

Syaoran sighed softly and headed back into the forest. He walked for a long while through the quiet, occasionally stopping to assist some animals, and then made his way back to his home in the heart of the forest.

His home, the shrine, looked small on the outside but was much larger on the inside. He passed through the barrier, or rather the door to his home, and entered the warm house. A fire crackled in the hearth and sleeping peacefully in the corner of the large room was an injured wolf cub.  
Syaoran walked over to the small animal and checked its injuries, careful not to wake the child from its slumber.  
Then, He stood and made his way over to the bench to make himself something to eat.

He spent most of the rest of his day roaming around the forest, and when it fell dark, he returned home once again. Syaoran gave the wolf cub something to eat before sitting down in his favourite chair with a book. It was an old book, and it was nearly falling apart, but Syaoran was careful with it. It was a book his mentor had given him a long time ago, back when he was still learning about his duties.

He stopped reading as he heard a familiar voice in his head. Then, he heard a voice outside, followed by a short shriek and then a splash.

 _'Why god. Why did you do this?'_

He heard the girls' cry and rushed outside to see three men walking away. Syaoran looked to the water and sensed a familiar presence in the depths.

He dove in, not letting the cold affect him, and grabbed the woman's hand, pulling her to him. When he had her, he swam to the surface and over to the edge where he lifted her out of the water and onto the grass. He climbed out of the icy water and checked to see if she was breathing.

She wasn't.

He placed his hands over her chest and a soft green glow surrounded them. Slowly, he lifted his hand, and with it came the water still in her lungs.  
When the water was safely removed, he flicked his hand to the side ridding himself of the liquid.  
Then, he picked her up and carried her into his warm home.

He placed her in his bed and removed her wet clothing before covering her with several blankets to warm her up. She was a pretty woman with soft, pale porcelain skin and carefully sculpted features. Her eye lashes were long and her lips full and pink.

"Should I make her something to eat?" he briefly wondered to himself.

She had yet to eat dinner since she'd been woken and then forced from her home, so he decided he should and then proceeded to make a hot vegetable soup for when she woke.  
She was going to need to be kept as warm as possible for the next few hours.  
While he knew that she wouldn't die from the ordeal, it was still very unpleasant.

After putting the meal together and waiting for it to cook, Syaoran sat in his favourite seat and picked up his book.

...

Sakura woke with a terrible headache and an aching body. She didn't recognise her surroundings-it certainly wasn't her home, and she frowned in confusion as she saw a familiar tapestry of the forest hanging on the far wall. She could smell herbs and some garlic, along with cooking vegetables.  
She highly doubted it was a home that belonged to any of the villagers-they all loathed her and would jump at the chance to see her disappear for good.  
So…  
"Where...?" she rasped.  
She heard footsteps and a tall brunet came into view. His eyes were a gentle amber, and he was quite muscular but not bulky.  
"Who...?" she barely managed to whisper.

"How are you feeling?" his voice was strong and gentle. "This should help." He gently lifted her head so that she could drink the warm contents in the cup.

Sakura cringed at the disgusting taste and turned her head.  
"No, no, all of it." He ordered softly.  
After a moment of debate with herself, she chose to obey.

Once she had finished the contents of the drink, she could feel her body becoming warmer and her throat stronger. Honestly, she had fully expected to be drugged and put back to sleep.  
"Thank you." She whispered.  
He nodded and turned to put the cup on the table.  
"Excuse me, but..."  
"This is my home if that's what you're wondering. I was disturbed from my time reading when I heard you." Syaoran answered.  
"Were you the one who pulled me from the lake?" Sakura asked.  
"Yes." He replied. "Why did you let them throw you in the lake?"  
"What could I have done? There were three men, all stronger than me." Sakura replied tiredly.

He stayed silent, irritated by her reply, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he sighed softly.

"Um...thank you for saving my life. I'm very grateful." Sakura spoke softly.  
"It's fine." He murmured.  
"May I ask...your name...?"  
"My name is Syaoran." He answered, walking back over to her with a bowl. "Can you sit?"  
Sakura slowly managed to sit up.  
He handed her the bowl which she took and looked at him warily.  
"I don't poison the food people worked so hard to grow and create." He spoke, as if knowing what she was thinking.  
Sakura lowered her eyes back to the bowl and hesitantly picked up the spoon.

The soup tasted of herbs and garlic and tomatoes. The vegetables were cooked perfectly.  
She ate in silence, her thoughts running amok, but she was unable to comprehend them properly.  
Her emerald eyes stared at the now empty bowl for a very long time, until she lifted her eyes to meet intense amber.  
Her breath caught in her throat and she felt her face heat up, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"You can stay here for the night. It's dangerous to wander the forest in the dark." He spoke.  
She didn't answer for several moments, too shocked by his words.  
Syaoran stood and took the bowl from her hands, carrying it back over to the kitchen.  
"Oh-um-thank you for your kindness, but I shouldn't..." she protested weakly.  
"You're in no fit state to leave on your own just yet." He turned his head and frowned at her.

Goosebumps rose on her skin and she shivered. It was then that she noticed it-she wasn't wearing any clothes.  
Her face turned beet red and she pulled the sheets up to her shoulders.  
"What's wrong?" he asked, seemingly unfazed by it all.  
"Um...where are my clothes?" she whispered.  
"They're still soaked through." Syaoran murmured, "I removed them and set them in front of the fire to dry."  
"O-oh..."  
Sakura's face still burned with embarrassment. He had seen everything.  
"They should be dry by morning." He added as he walked back over.  
"Um...I don't suppose...there's something I could wear, is there?" Sakura blushed.

He watched her for a brief minute, seeming almost confused by her words, and then he moved over to a set of draws. She watched as he pulled out a hunter green shirt and he walked over to her.  
"How's this for now?" he asked, offering her the shirt.  
"Thank you very much." Sakura blushed and pulled the shirt over her head quickly.  
It was a lot bigger on her frame, reminding her of how much smaller she was.  
"Um..." she started, but stopped.  
"Yes?" he murmured softly, sitting down in a chair by the bed.  
"Are you a medic...? I don't think I've seen you before." Sakura said.  
"I'm not a medic, and I'm not a resident of Alyrias either." He replied, and he was met with confusion.  
"Then...?"

Sakura didn't understand. She'd never heard of anyone living on the outskirts of Alyrias, or even in the forest-and she knew the forest by heart. She'd never seen a house or any other person in the forest except for when walking up to the shrine.

Instead of answering her unspoken question, Syaoran just gave her a small smile.  
"You should really rest, Sakura."

She nodded and shifted to lie back down, briefly wondering how he knew her name.

* * *

 **Errm don't have much to say other than thanks for reading. Chapter two will be up in a few days! Please review and tell me your thoughts. No flames please.**


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura woke in the early morning. The small house that she had stayed in for the night was lit up by the early morning sun. It was quiet.  
She sat up in the bed and looked around, finding Syaoran was nowhere to be seen.  
She nibbled her lip and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, standing.  
Everything was so neatly organised and tended to, she couldn't help but stare in awe.

Sakura wandered over to the wall where the familiar tapestry was hanging and looked over it.  
She was right. It was the one she'd made as an offering for their god. But what was he doing with it?

"Good morning."

Sakura jumped with surprise and looked over to see that Syaoran was closing the door behind him gently.  
"Oh! Good morning..." she mumbled awkwardly, tugging on the bottom of the shirt.  
He walked over and stood beside her, looking up at the tapestry.  
"It's beautiful work." He murmured. "It was made for me."  
She blinked in confusion. She was sure it was her work. No, she was _positive_ it was her work.  
"By who?" she asked.  
He glanced over to see she looked confused and he smiled.  
"Someone very kind."

He then walked over to a chair by the empty fireplace and picked up her pile of dry clothes.  
"Here." He murmured, handing her the clothes.  
"Thank you." She replied as she took them from him.  
"I'll make you something to eat, so please feel free to get dressed." Syaoran said as he turned away to head into the kitchen.

Sakura sighed and looked to where he was moving about, feeling self-conscious about her body in front of him. Awkwardly and feeling embarrassed, Sakura quickly changed into her clothes, struggling with some of the buttons of her dress in her haste.

"Here," Syaoran said, walking over and handing her a bowl of freshly cut up fruit.  
"Thank you." She smiled.  
He nodded and left her to eat in peace.

She sat down in one of the seats by the fireplace and ate her food in silence. She felt uncomfortable under his piercing gaze as he silently watched her from where he stood. After a few moments she looked up and made eye contact with his amber eyes. She didn't see any irritation or negative feelings in his eyes, but she did see... was it concern?  
She decided she was imagining things and finished off the last of her food.  
"Are you finished?" he asked softly from where he stood in the kitchen.  
"Um, yes..." she replied.  
Syaoran walked over and took the bowl from her hands.  
"Be honest with me; how are you feeling?"  
Sakura looked at him with confusion. "I still feel a little bit sore...but why are you so concerned?"  
"The safety and comfort of the village people is my top priority. Especially with you." Syaoran murmured.  
"Your priority?" she repeated, even more confused.  
"Yes."

Realising she probably wasn't going to get any answers out of him, she stopped asking any questions regarding what he meant.  
"Um...would it be alright for me to head home now? I have some things I need to do..."

He stopped and looked at her curiously. She wondered what he was thinking about her, if he even intended to let her leave, but she relaxed when his gaze became gentle.  
"Yes." He passed her as he walked over to the door and she followed him over. "You'll be safe on the way home, I can assure you. Look after yourself."

Not willing to question him, she simply nodded. "Thank you very much for your help-I truly appreciate it."  
He blinked with surprise. "Oh-you're welcome."

She stepped out of the door and turned, wanting to say something, but all she saw was the old shrine in the heart of the forest.  
"What on earth...?" she mumbled out loud.  
There was no house to be seen. And she had only just stepped out the door. She was sure it hadn't been a dream and that she hadn't been hallucinating, but the house was nowhere to be seen.

Shaking her head, she turned and made her way down the many stairs and hurried home, too many questions swimming about in her head for her to comprehend.

...

Shortly after the woman, Sakura, had left, Syaoran made his way through the forest. Earlier that morning before she had woken, he had released the wolf cub back to its mother. That was where he had been when she'd woken.  
Now he silently watched over her as she returned home, keeping an eye on her in the water mirror at the lake.

"Does she know yet?" A feminine voice sounded from behind him.

He turned and came face to face with a beautiful woman. Her long silken hair was dark and her eyes the colour of crimson. Her face and body looked like something that was described in fairy tales; a perfect sculpted doll and pale porcelain skin.

Adorning her arms were gold bands with perfectly carved wave patterns around them, and gold bangles around her wrists. She wore a pale blue dress with a gold metal band sitting under her bust and sitting around her neck sat a gold necklace with pale blue tear drops hanging from the band.  
In her hand she held a gold trident that was far taller than she was.

She was the Goddess of the lake, the one who purified the water the villagers drew their water from. She was kind, but hot tempered, and she hated to be disrupted during her time of sleep.

"Meiling-what are you doing here?" Syaoran frowned.  
She raised on of her dark brows. "She was tossed into my home last night, remember?"  
"Yeah, I remember-I pulled her out of the water." Syaoran replied.  
She sighed. "Anyway-does she know? The villagers are getting more and more malicious by the day."  
Syaoran kicked a stone by his foot and it landed in the lake. Meiling glared at him.  
"She doesn't know." He answered.  
"When will you tell her?" she asked.  
Syaoran lowered his eyes.  
"She needs to know. She's had enough time in the dark, and she needs to learn to control her abilities before another incident occurs. Remember what happened last time?" Meiling pushed.  
"Why don't you tell her then?" he grumbled.  
"Because I'm not the God the watches over the village-you are." Meiling retorted.  
He groaned.  
"Just do it soon." She then said, "The other Gods are getting impatient."  
He sighed softly. "I know."

Meiling left him to his thoughts, disappearing into the water.

...

Sakura sighed softly as she sat down at the table in her house. As Syaoran had said, she made it home unharmed.  
She felt exhausted from her encounter with that man. She had so many questions and nothing made sense to her.

Why on earth did he have that tapestry?  
How did he know her name?  
And why did he say that her safety and the villages safety was his priority?

At first, she had wondered if she had mistaken it for the one she had made, but her signature mark was on there. It was hers, like she had originally thought. She also wondered if she maybe had met him in the past, but she was sure she would remember a face like his.  
As for the other question…

"Just who is he...?" she groaned.

He had said the tapestry was made for him by someone very kind. Perhaps there had been a mistake after all?  
He had said that he wasn't a citizen of Alyrias, and it was his duty to ensure the comfort of all the citizens, especially her. It didn't make any sense in her mind at all.  
 _'Don't think about it, just continue with your life like nothing happened, Sakura.'_ She told herself.

Yes. She would continue her life as if she had never met him. That way, she wouldn't have to think about any of it and it wouldn't cause her any confusion.

She frowned as she heard shouts and cheers outside. Standing, she walked over to the door and opened it, peering out. People were pouring out of their houses and chasing down the streets, running after something. Confused about the commotion, Sakura stepped out and followed the crowd to the centre of the village.

She could hardly see what was going on with the large amount of people, but she could see the top of a rather grand looking carriage.

"Oh, my goodness! Is it really him? Is it really the prince?" a woman near her squealed with excitement.  
"It is! Prince Kei is here, in our village!" came the reply from her friend.  
"Oh my...I wonder why he's here?"  
"I heard he's looking for a wife!"  
There was a gasp of shock. "Do you think he'd be interested in me? Oh, I bet he's soooo nice."

Sakura frowned. It didn't make any sense as to why a prince would come to such a rural town to look for a wife. It made no sense at all. It made about as much sense as her meeting with Syaoran did.

With a small sigh, she turned and returned to her home with no more interest. She had things she needed to do, and she refused to let them remain unfinished any longer.

...

The sun was beginning to set when Syaoran stopped watching the town through the water mirror. So many young women from the village had come to the shrine to make wishes, all of them hoping that they'd be the chosen bride for the prince that had just arrived in the village hours earlier.

Syaoran was suspicious of this prince. He knew quite well that royalty did not marry common people-if they did, it was often frowned upon.  
He could easily tell that this prince had ulterior motives, but as for what they were, he did not know. Yet.  
"So, the prince has shown up, huh?"  
He looked up to see Meiling stepping out of the water.  
"Yes, he has." Syaoran replied.  
"I wonder why." She murmured.  
"He's looking for a bride, it seems. Many of the young women have been praying it will be them." Syaoran sighed and then stood.  
"Tomorrow he'll be interviewing all the single women in the village."  
"Oh dear. The poor soul who marries him will be in for a rude shock." She mused.  
Syaoran turned to head away. "Meiling, would you mind keeping a close eye on Sakura? I have a bad feeling about this."  
"Just for tonight!" she snapped.  
"Thank you." Syaoran replied as he slipped away into the trees.

She watched him as he left, tipping her head to the side in confusion. Why was he so worried about Sakura?  
She shrugged and stretched her arms above her head before wondering off into the forest, looking for something interesting to do.

...

Sakura rose in the morning and quickly dressed herself in her favourite pink dress and brown pumps before brushing her hair. She picked up an apple and bit into it as she looked around her tiny house, wondering where she should begin to clean.  
She didn't have much to do, and she wanted to go out a little later to read by the lake in the spring sunshine, so she finished eating her apple and set herself to work.

Once she had finished dusting everything and organising her books on her bookshelf, Sakura decided it was time for a break. Breathing a soft sigh, she walked over to her bench and picked up a peach, cutting it up and nibbling on it while she sat in thought.  
Sakura glanced out the window, finding that quite a bit of time had passed since she'd woken. It was already late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set.  
"There goes reading up at the lake..." she groaned out loud.

She sat down feeling exhausted and leant back in her favourite chair, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep...

A loud knock startled her awake. Tired and in a daze, she struggled to process that there was someone knocking on her door.  
Another, much louder, knock sounded this time, so she stood and walked over to the door. She fully expected another terrible prank, like the night before when she'd been tossed into the lake to drown.  
Instead she was met with three people-two of the men appeared older, while the man in the middle looked quite young, possibly in his early twenties.

"Are you Sakura Kinomoto?" one of the men asked. He was heavily built and looked rather angry, but she decided that he most likely always wore that expression.  
"Y-yes..." she replied timidly, hiding behind her door.  
The man in the middle gave her a dazzling smile. He had pale brown hair and clear blue eyes, his jaw square and his build lean and muscular.  
"Don't mind his scary face, my lady. May we come in?"  
She blinked several times.  
"Oh-um-please come in... I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting visitors today." She opened the door to allow the three men inside, and quietly closed it after them.  
"Please don't apologise. It is rather rude of me to come unannounced." He smiled kindly.  
"Please, have a seat." She said softly.  
"Thank you very much."  
"I-um, I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid I don't have much to offer in the way of refreshments." She apologised.  
"Don't worry about it, dear." He said kindly. "Won't you sit with me?"

Sakura sat in the chair across from him.  
"Um...forgive me for asking, but I don't know who you are."  
He looked surprised.  
"Oh, forgive me for my rude manners. I am the crown prince of this beautiful country, Prince Kei. It is my pleasure to be able to meet such a beautiful young woman."

Sakura thought she would never be able to breathe again. Why was the prince in her house?  
Speechless, she just stared.  
Finally, she managed to find her voice again.  
"Pardon me, your highness, but why on earth would you want to see me?" she asked incredulously,  
His eyes widened with surprise. "I thought you would have known by now why I am here in this village?"  
"I heard gossip that you were here looking for a bride." She confessed.

"That's correct." One of his retainers replied.

It wasn't the tall brute this time, but rather the much more regal man with slick black hair and hazel eyes. He wore a tailored suit in the colours of navy and gold.

"His highness has been interviewing all of the single women in this village today, and we were informed that you did not show."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh-I'm so sorry, I meant no offence. To be honest, I'd heard nothing of this until just now." She apologised.

"No offence taken, my lady." The prince smiled gently.  
She breathed a sigh of relief.  
"It seems that you're on bad terms with the villagers. May I ask why?"  
Sakura lowered her eyes. "I'm different to them, and it frightens them, so they keep their distance from me."

He stood and walked over to her and lifted her chin gently so that their eyes met. "If you don't like it here, then I can take you away. I can give you all you could ever want-friends and family, money and power." He spoke softly.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in money or power." Sakura replied.  
"Are you sure?" he asked curiously. "You could crush the people of this village easily once you're married to me."  
"M-married?" she stuttered. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that!"  
"Why on earth not?" he frowned.  
"I'm terribly sorry, your highness, but for me, marriage is between two people who love each other." She blurted out.

She froze, hoping she hadn't offended the prince.

Then he burst out laughing. "Very well then. I guess I'll just have to make you fall for me."  
He gave her a dazzling smile that would make any normal girl swoon.  
"I hope to see you again soon, my dear." He lifted her hand and gently kissed it.  
His hands felt cold, and she held back a shudder.  
"We'll leave you in peace."  
He walked over to the door and Sakura hurried to follow, opening it for the three men. The prince thanked her and then left with his two men, leaving her alone.

She closed the door and sighed.

"I wouldn't trust him if I were you."

Sakura jumped, and span around to see a familiar face sitting in her room with a hot cup of tea.

* * *

 **Guess who! Haha, it's not that hard to guess. I know I could really go for a cup of tea after having 33 needles stuck in my head today. (yuck)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! Thank you for the wonderful reviews. I read all of them. I noticed some of you are also people who have read Spellbound, so it's awesome to see you again!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"I wouldn't trust him if I were you." A familiar voice spoke from within her house.

Sakura jumped and span around, finding Syaoran sitting in her favourite seat with his legs crossed. In his hands was a hot cup of tea.  
She stared at him with confusion. "How did you get into my house?" she asked.  
"I've been here the entire time." He stated simply.  
"What? But I would have noticed if you were in my house." Sakura frowned.  
"Not if I kept myself hidden from you." Syaoran shrugged and sipped his tea.  
Sakura groaned. "I don't understand this at all..."  
"What will you do about the prince? He seems intent on wooing you." He said dully, with extra emphasis on 'wooing'.  
Sakura sat down. "I have no intention of ever marrying." She whispered.

Syaoran looked at her with knowing eyes, as if he knew exactly what her reasons were. Sakura met his soft amber gaze and she saw the sadness in his eyes, the sympathy and knowing.  
She didn't understand why he looked at her with such sadness, why he seemed to care about her so much.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Sakura suddenly asked.  
He blinked and then sighed.  
"As for that, there's something you should know."  
She tipped her head to the side with confusion. "What is it?"  
His face suddenly became very serious.  
"You're already aware that you're different to all of the other villagers. You have abilities no one can explain, and you've outlived countless humans over the last century." He spoke.

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes, wondering how he could possibly know that. They had only met a few days ago, but it seemed like he knew everything about her.

"The reason for this, runs in your blood."  
"My...blood...?" she repeated.  
He nodded. "Sakura, you have godly blood running through your veins. You're a goddess."

Sakura stared at him with utter shock. At first, she'd wondered if it was just another awful joke, but searching his eyes she found nothing but absolute honesty.  
"You're not lying, are you?" she barely managed to whisper.  
"No. I would never do that to you." He stated with complete, heart melting honesty.

A million questions started to rise in her head, and he could tell she wanted to ask him. Her stomach growled, and he smiled with amusement.  
"Before you start asking questions, how about you tend to your stomach?"  
Her face turned an intense shade of red and she stood quickly, but then hesitated.  
As if knowing her worries, Syaoran smiled gently.  
"Don't worry. I'll give you all of your answers."  
Seeing his gentle honesty, she moved to make something to eat.  
"Should I make you something as well?" she asked quietly.  
"No, I'll be quite alright." He answered.

She nodded and walked over to the bench. She considered making a proper meal but decided that bread with cheese spread across it would suffice, along with an apple.  
When she walked over to sit down, she noticed a warm fire burning in her fireplace. She looked back to Syaoran knowing he was the only one who could have done that while she was busy, since she hadn't bothered to light it beforehand.  
"Oh-thank you." She smiled.  
"It's fine." He replied. "What do you want to know?"

Sakura wondered what she wanted to know most. She pondered for a moment, trying to figure out what she should ask first, so she settled for something simple.

"Who are you?" she chose to ask.

He sighed gently. "Well, as a goddess you have the right to know." He murmured. "I'm the God whom watches over Alyrias, as is my duty to do so."

She simply stared at him, forgetting to chew her bread. She swallowed after a moment, still taking the news in.  
"You're not lying?" she asked quietly.  
He gave her a pointed look and she remembered his honesty just moments earlier.  
"Sorry, I just find it a bit of a shock, is all." She confessed.  
"That's understandable." He said softly.

Sakura took another bite of bread and chewed it slowly before swallowing. With that answer came a whole bunch of new questions, along with some anger.  
"Have you always known about me?" she asked.  
"Yes. Most of the gods do." Syaoran answered.  
"Why have you waited so long to tell me this?" She whispered. "I've been praying for answers for so long..."  
Her voice shook with pain and anger.  
He lowered his eyes, guilt taking over his features.  
"I know. I always heard your pleas for answers, but I was told not to tell you yet. It was an agreement made by all of us. I'm truly sorry, Sakura. I did want to tell you much sooner."

Sakura studied Syaoran's expression. He seemed truly sorry for keeping her in the dark for so many years, and she felt her anger dissipate.  
"May I ask why it is that I'm being told now?" she asked quietly.  
He nodded. "We all came to an agreement that you should be told, and that you should be trained to control your abilities to prevent another incident occurring."

Sakura flinched at the mention of the incident she wished to forget.

"I know how upset you were, and still are, about it." He spoke very gently, kindly. "So, it would be in your best interest to learn how to control your abilities."  
She lowered her eyes. "I never want something so awful to happen again."  
He nodded. "I'll be helping you train, as will one other."  
Sakura looked at him with confusion. "One other?"  
"Yes. Her name is Meiling, and she governs water. The lake you were tossed in by those men is her home." Syaoran explained.  
"Oh, my goodness! She's not angry, is she? Ohh, I'll have to apologise to her..." Sakura fidgeted anxiously as she worried about having another goddess being angry with her.  
Syaoran shook his head. "No, she's not angry with you at all. She's quite worried about you, as is someone else I know."  
"Oh...that's a relief. I'm glad she's not angry with me." Sakura sighed and then smiled.  
He returned her smile. "What else would you like to know?"  
Sakura thought for a long moment. She wasn't sure what to ask next. It was all too much to take in.  
"It's ok. Take your time." He spoke softly.  
"Do you know...everything about me?" Sakura asked.  
"Yes, I do." He replied honestly.  
"I see..."

Sakura didn't know what to feel. She had just been told that she was a goddess, and that was why she didn't age, and that she needed to learn to control her abilities. All this being told to her by the person who claimed that he was the god who watched over Alyrias.  
It was too much to take in. How could it even be real?  
But then again, she wasn't exactly normal herself-a fact she was reminded of every single day.  
Syaoran watched her with gentle patience for a very long moment.  
"Would you like some time to think?" he asked softly.  
She nodded.  
Syaoran stood, "I'll give you a few days to yourself. If you find your mind plagued by any questions, come to the heart of the forest-preferably during daytime hours. The forest can be quite dangerous at night." He explained.

She nodded without much thinking. Sakura looked up when she felt a gentle hand on her cheek and emerald met amber. She saw gentle warmth and care in those eyes of his, and something else...

"Sakura, you're not alone."

Those were the last words he spoke to her before he disappeared in the blink of an eye, the warmth of his hand still lingering on her cheek.

...

Syaoran had been with Sakura the entire time the prince was in her tiny little house.

Sakura had been so surprised and confused when the men showed up, unknowing of who they were. He had been a little amused with her ignorance, but he wasn't surprised either. Sakura didn't socialise with the villagers much.

He had, however, been worried about her. After all, she had let three men into her home and no one lived with her. They could have easily over powered her and hurt her-though he wouldn't have let them do anything of the sort.  
But even so…

He had watched the Prince interview all the women in the village, and while he appeared kind to them, Syaoran knew he hardly cared. When the prince had asked of the woman who was rumoured to have strange magic powers, the village elder was flustered and pointed him in the direction of Sakura's home. It was then that Syaoran started to become worried.

He headed to Sakura's home, a place he had been countless times without her knowledge. Sometimes he would be standing right beside her while she mixed herbal remedies, watching her work hard. Other times he would sit with her while she read, all while knowing she had no idea of his existence.

He found her asleep in her favourite chair. Her expression was sad as she slept, and slowly a tear crept down her cheek. Gently, he cupped her cheek and lightly kissed her forehead. Syaoran stayed at her side, holding her while she slept all the while without her knowing. He didn't know when, but over the years of staying close to her, watching, he had fallen in love with her.

He pulled away when he voices outside the door. A knock sounded, startling Sakura awake, and she seemed wary. He knew why-after all, last time she had been dragged from her house and tossed in the lake.

He watched her as she answered her door, and upon hearing that the man outside her door was a prince, she was very surprised. He watched with distaste as the prince showed a very obvious interest in Sakura, and he was pleased when Sakura stated she couldn't marry him because she didn't love him. But, the prince wasn't going to give up.

Syaoran had a basic idea of what his intentions were, but first he needed to confirm them. But before that, Sakura needed to know. She needed to know who she was, why she was different to everyone else. She deserved the truth he had been hiding from her for so many years.

And so, he told her.

Syaoran was patient with Sakura. He knew she would have many questions, and it was a lot to take in. He wanted to tell her everything, but most of all, he wanted her to know she wasn't alone anymore. She had him.

As he left her home, he located the prince easily.  
Prince Kei was lazing about in the only inn the village had, with his feet up on the coffee table in his room while he relaxed in his chair. His two retainers weren't doing much else.  
"I can't believe that girl didn't know who I am." The prince growled. "So rude and ignorant."  
Syaoran stayed where he was in the corner of the room, listening. The man with hazel eyes smiled kindly.  
"Do you really intend on wooing her, your highness?" he asked.  
The prince snorted. "Of course, I do. Her powers-or whatever you call them-are needed in order to keep our country safe."  
A laugh sounded from the slim man. "It seems as though you merely want her as a weapon and not your wife."  
"She is a weapon. She should be used for the benefit of this country. Although...she is quite attractive-no, very." Prince Kei grinned. "I can't wait to have her."

Syaoran wouldn't let that happen. He would never allow this prince to hurt Sakura.

"Be careful your highness-you might upset the gods of this place."  
Prince Kei rolled his eyes, "Ugh, the gods don't exist. They're just some made up fairy tale to keep people in line." He stood and walked over to his bed.  
As he passed, Syaoran stuck his foot out, effectively tripping him.  
The prince swore as he stumbled. "What the fuck?" he hissed.  
"Don't go around saying the gods don't exist. That's what happens when you piss them off."  
"Oh, shut up."  
His two retainers laughed while he sulked, and Syaoran smiled with satisfaction.

After a while of listening to their banter, Syaoran left and returned to the forest. He spent much of his time performing his usual duties, watching for dangers and keeping the area pure. He was sure Sakura would end up staying awake all night thinking about what he had told her, and therefore would likely be exhausted the next day, so he made a mental note to check in on her secretly the next day.

...

Sakura had spent the entire night thinking about what Syaoran had told her, so much so that she'd hardly gotten any sleep.  
A goddess. It certainly explained a lot.

She remembered the gentle patience he had for her, and the warmth and care for her in his eyes. She blushed as she remembered the warmth of his hand against her cheek. She wondered when she'd see him again, and then briefly wondered if she should go to the heart of the forest.  
 _'No, I have to work on that tapestry today.'_ She sighed, and then proceeded to get out of bed to begin her day.

She spent most of her day with thoughts about what Syaoran had told her swimming in her head, and that night's sleep wasn't much better. She tossed and turned, until a wave of sudden comfort enveloped her. Her eyelids drooped and finally she managed to fall asleep.

She woke late the next morning. After dressing herself in a creme dress, she made herself some sandwiches for lunch and placed them in her basket along with a book, and hurried out the door.  
She smacked into someone as she ran around the corner.  
"I'm so sorry!" she apologised, and looked up to see Prince Kei standing in front of her.  
"It's quite alright. You're not hurt, are you?" he replied kindly.  
"No, I'm alright." She smiled.  
He spotted her basket. "Oh-are you busy?"  
"I'm about to head to the hill to do some reading." Sakura answered honestly.  
He raised his brow. "Oh really? Why don't you come and have lunch with me? It's my treat."  
Sakura felt uncomfortable going along with his invitation, but she didn't want to seem rude if she rejected it.  
"Please?" he begged as he noticed her apprehension, "Just this once."  
"Alright..." she replied uncomfortably.

Sakura found herself sitting inside the little cafe with the prince across from her. He had ordered her the best dish on the menu-a luxurious plate of seafood with a range of different sauces and herbs. Sakura wasn't fond of seafood-she avoided it often-but she couldn't avoid it now.  
"The fish here doesn't have as much flavour as it does in the capital." The prince spoke.  
"Oh...really?" Sakura asked, praying for someone to come and take her away.  
All she wanted was to eat her sandwiches and read her book in peace.  
"Yes. The chefs back at the palace could cook you whatever you wanted, and you'd never be able to find anyone better." He continued.  
Sakura slowly lifted a prawn to her mouth as he spoke, going on about how grand palace life was.

"Look out!" came a shout.

Before either of them had time to react, something crashed into the table. Food flew all over Sakura, dirtying her dress, and the prince was soaked in water.  
Sakura felt confused.  
What had happened?  
Prince Kei seemed just as confused as she did, and quite furious.

"Your highness!" The owners of the cafe ran over to him with towels.  
The wife turned to Sakura with a look of disgust, "Get out!" she shrieked. "Begone you witch!"  
Sakura stood from where she was, picking up her basket, and hurried away.

Her feet carried her to the shrine in the heart of the forest, and when she came to a stop she realised she was still covered in seafood and sauce.

"My apologies for what happened back there." A soft melodic voice sounded behind her.

Sakura turned to see a beautiful young woman with crimson coloured eyes and jet black hair.

The woman smiled. "My name is Meiling. Syaoran asked me to help you out, as he's a little busy with something at the moment. He shouldn't be long."  
Sakura remembered that Syaoran had mentioned that there was another god in the area.  
"Thank you," Sakura smiled.  
Meiling smiled. "I didn't intend for you to end up covered in seafood. I'll fix that now."

Sakura was about to say something as Meiling lifted her hand; soft, gentle streams of water surrounded Sakura, cleansing her clothes. When the water disappeared, her clothes were dry, and she was no longer covered in her meal.

Footsteps sounded and Syaoran appeared from the trees.  
"Sakura-good, you're safe." He murmured.

She nodded, unable to form words upon seeing him. She blushed and was about to look away when she saw what he was holding; a small bundle of fur. Out popped a little feline head, its large blue eyes looking around startled before it buried itself back in the crook of his arm.  
"What...?" she pointed to the little animal.  
He smiled. "This is just one of the mountain cats that act as messengers between gods. This one is just a kitten though, and she seems to have injured herself. I'll be taking care of her in the meantime." Syaoran explained as he stroked its fur.  
"Oh..."  
He turned his attention to Meiling. "Meiling, thank you for helping Sakura."  
"Just call me if you need me." she replied before promptly disappearing.

Sakura blinked for a minute and then turned to Syaoran, who was eyeing her with gentle concern. "Have you been struggling with what I told you?"  
Sakura lowered her eyes. "I just don't know what to think. Maybe it will start to sink in more if...if I'm able to learn about this." She said.  
He smiled softly. "Come inside."

* * *

 **"Look at my cat, my cat is amazing. Just don't lick it, because it probably doesn't taste like raisins." -Syaoran, probably.**

 **Sorry, couldn't help myself :P what do you all want to happen to the prince? Die a painful and horrible death? Be cursed for the rest of his life? Do you want Syaoran to turn him into a carp for Meiling's lake? Or maybe a snail?**

 **I'm curious to hear your thoughts xD (mostly for my own amusement)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! Thanks for your kind reviews, it means a lot :) unfortunately my depression has taken a nosedive this last week, so it's been pretty rough. Anxiety hasn't been helping either.**

 **errm, you can all expect updates every 3 or 4 days. I'll let you know if I'll be a bit late with a chapter-i might be rewriting some of the content.**

* * *

After struggling with the initial confusion of how she got to the small house when she'd just been outside the shrine, Sakura followed Syaoran inside and watched as he carefully tended to the injured kitten.

When it finally fell asleep, he started moving around the kitchen and she realised he was making tea.  
"Have a seat." He spoke softly.  
She jumped, startled by his voice, but relaxed after a moment and sat down.  
She fidgeted a little, scared or worried, she wasn't sure.  
"Here." Syaoran handed her a cup of hot tea and she thanked him quietly.  
He sat down in the chair across from her with his own cup.  
"What do you want to know?"  
"What will this training involve?" she blurted out. She froze, a little surprised with how much she felt the need to know.  
He simply smiled. "Are you worried?"  
She nodded, "A little, I guess..."  
Syaoran watched her for a moment as she fidgeted under his gaze. He lifted his cup to his mouth and drank a little.  
"Your training will not only include learning about your abilities, but also how to perform certain rituals and duties as a god." He answered calmly.  
Sakura just felt even more confused.  
"Rituals and duties?"  
"I don't just laze around all day and decide on a whim who to help." He answered bluntly.  
"Oh."

Sakura had never really thought about it before. She had always assumed the gods were cruel, given her life, but it was really no different to a doctor choosing to help the person with a more severe wound to a person with a scraped knee.

"I am sorry, Sakura." He murmured.  
"Were you reading my thoughts?" she asked.  
"No. I can tell by the expression on your face." He answered. "I can understand your anger, but please try to understand it from my end, as well."  
"It's ok. It's no different to a doctor prioritising someone's life who is in more danger than another's, is it?" Sakura replied softly, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze.  
"You're right."  
"Well...when do I need to start these lessons?" she asked.  
"Preferably as soon as possible." He answered.  
She nodded.  
"I'd like to start tomorrow, but that depends on you." Syaoran added.  
Sakura didn't have anything planned. "Alright. What time?"  
"How about noon?"  
"That should be fine." Sakura smiled.  
"Good."

Sakura watched him as he stared into his cup, looking a bit lost in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about, what had him so distracted.  
He looked up after a long moment of silence and she blushed.  
"How will you deal with that prince?" he asked.  
She blinked. "Um...I don't know." She answered.

He sighed softly as he watched her with gentle concern. "Just remember my warning. I can only meddle if the right circumstances arise, and I sincerely hope they do not."

Sakura looked a little confused again and he smiled, "You'll understand soon, love."

He hardly seemed to realise what he'd said, and if he did, he didn't show any sign of it. Upon hearing the end of his sentence, Sakura's face suddenly felt very hot. Nothing was said between the pair for a few long moments, until he finally broke the silence.

"Why are you still feeling guilty about the tapestry?" he asked gently.  
"What?" Sakura looked at him with surprise. "Oh..."

Syaoran looked at the piece hanging on his wall while he waited patiently for her answer.

"I..." Sakura was a little lost for words.

He watched her with those gentle eyes of his, reading her emotions. "The value of an offering does not lie in the item itself, but rather the feelings behind it." He spoke softly. "You're a very kind person, Sakura, almost a little _too_ kind."

Sakura lowered her eyes to her cup, "I just don't want anyone to be hurt because of me."  
He stood and walked over to her, cupping her cheek lightly.  
"I know." He said softly.  
Once again, a light blush crept into her cheeks.  
"I have some things I need to tend to. Perhaps you should go to that hill for the afternoon." He murmured.

She looked into his deep amber pools, seeing nothing but kindness and concern along with something a little more. She finally realised what he had said and nodded.  
"Oh-thank you..."  
"Take care of yourself. I mean it." He added a bit more seriously.  
This time Sakura smiled brightly. "I'll be fine! I promise."  
Seeing her with such a smile put him at ease. "Very well."

After having left the shrine, Sakura headed towards the hill where she liked to sit and read when she had a lot on her mind. It was right beside the large lake, the same lake she'd been thrown in just days ago.

She stopped as she saw Meiling hovering above the waters' surface, watching in awe as the goddess danced with streams of water swirling around her. The goddess was as elegant in her movements as she looked, and Sakura couldn't help but watch.

Finally, Meiling came to a stop. The goddess turned to Sakura and smiled.  
"Hello."  
Sakura returned her smile. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your dance."  
Meiling shook her head. "This was a water purification ritual."  
"Water purification?" Sakura frowned.  
Meiling giggled a little. "I have to keep the water safe to drink for the town. And since you were thrown into it..."  
"My deepest apologies!" Sakura quickly apologised.  
"It's hardly your fault. You were tossed in by those men, if I remember correctly." Meiling sighed. "I'll never understand humans."  
Sakura smiled. "I don't think I can, either."  
Meiling watched her curiously for a moment. "Well, I suppose I should leave you be. Have a good afternoon."  
Sakura watched as she disappeared, and with a soft sigh, she carried on to her favourite tree.

...

Prince Kei sat in the inn with his two retainers, looking thoroughly pissed off. Not only did he feel completely and utterly humiliated, but Sakura had disappeared completely.  
"I can't believe it!" he snarled. "She just disappeared, as if she owed me nothing."  
"Be careful-if you show her any kind of malice, she won't warm up to you."

The prince rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know. I was hoping shed warm up to me a lot quicker since no one here likes her. Being nice is a pain-she's just another commoner." He muttered with disgust.

"Perhaps so, but at least she's useful to you."  
"True."

Syaoran listened to their conversation with disgust. He hated how they talked about Sakura as if she were some toy to be used and discarded once they were done with her.

"So, your lunch failed today. What will you try next?"  
The prince sighed. "I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it."  
"Maybe start with some flowers-a gentle gesture. Girls tend to love them."  
The prince raised his brow. "How stupid."  
"I know but trust me."  
"Fine."

Syaoran sighed softly. This prince was going to be hard work.

...

Sakura woke late in the morning, finding the sun shining through her window and onto her face. Squinting, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  
She wondered what she would be taught first by Syaoran, and a sudden wave of anxiety struck her.  
What if the prince was waiting for her again?  
She didn't really want to see him.  
He made her feel uncomfortable, but asides from that, with him constantly hanging around her would just bring even more unwanted trouble from the village people.

Standing, Sakura moved to get dressed and then ate a small meal of fruit before heading out.

Thankfully the walk was peaceful, and she didn't run into anyone on her way into the forest. Sakura made her way to the shrine humming a soft tune, coming to a stop at the shrine. A hand tapped her shoulder and she jumped with a squeak, spinning around to meet Syaoran's surprised gaze.  
"You scared me!"  
"I'm sorry." He laughed.  
She frowned, "Don't laugh..." she pouted.  
Syaoran smiled softly. "Alright. Shall we begin your lessons?"  
Sakura nodded. "Where do we begin?" she asked.  
"First of all, I want you to learn how to stabilise and control your magic. It will be quite exhausting at first, so we'll split your lessons in half; your magic, and then I'll teach you about the duties of a God." Syaoran told her.  
Sakura nodded again.

"Let's begin, love."

…

Learning to control her magic was much harder than she first believed, Sakura realised. She sat exhausted on the grass with beads of sweat crawling down her face.  
Something cool touched her forehead and she opened her eyes, seeing Syaoran kneeling in front of her as he wiped the sweat away.  
"You should rest." He spoke softly. "I'll stay with you."  
Sakura didn't protest as he pulled her against him, her head resting in his lap. She closed her eyes, and within minutes, fell asleep.

Syaoran watched her sleeping face, her breathing even, and gently he brushed some hair out of her face.

"She looks utterly exhausted." Meiling's voice came from beside him.  
He nodded, not bothering to look up. "I pushed her hard today."  
"That was a bit mean." Meiling scoffed.  
"She can handle it." Syaoran murmured.  
"I'm sure she can. You wouldn't do anything you felt would cause her harm-you love her too much." she teased.

He gave her an annoyed glare but gave up. It was true, after all.

"Meiling, would you mind doing me a favour and watch over Sakura?" he asked.

Meiling stared at him for a moment, thinking over his words. "Well, I'm awake at the moment, and I won't return to sleep for quite a number of months yet." She said. "I'll help you."

Syaoran smiled gratefully. "Thank you."  
"It must be frustrating, not being able to keep watch over her yourself." she murmured.  
Syaoran lowered his eyes to Sakura's sleeping face.  
"It is...but I have my duties as well."  
"Oh yeah-we're having another one of those large get togethers soon. Will you have her come along?"  
Syaoran nodded. "It will be a good experience."  
"Good idea." Meiling agreed. "I'll leave you be."  
Syaoran nodded and she disappeared, leaving him alone with Sakura.

While he sat there, he brought up a water mirror to see what was happening in the village. As he had suspected, the prince was loitering around Sakura's home. He was half tempted to set his shoe on fire, but he decided against it-it wouldn't achieve anything in the long run.

He then turned his attention to the other citizens. Some were gossiping about the failed lunch from the day earlier, and as usual blamed the accident that Meiling had purposefully caused on Sakura. They'd call her a witch or some kind of evil temptress, saying she wasn't human. Of course, Sakura wasn't human, but she certainly wasn't evil or a witch.

The witches had all died out long ago, many losing their lives during the witch hunts. Now, they were just a myth, a story to keep children in line.  
But even the folklore about witches was wrong.  
They weren't evil-well, a majority of them weren't. Primarily, they would travel around selling herbal remedies and would heal the sick.  
Syaoran remembered having met several witches in the past, but they had all been tortured and burned alive.  
It was around that time that he had made his pact with the village…

Sakura shifted in her sleep, distracting him from his thoughts. Her face looked distorted with grief and anguish. Not wishing to see her in such pain, he gently calmed her, his magic soothing her, and she relaxed into a much more peaceful slumber.

He remembered the other night when she had been tossing and turning in her bed, her mind plagued by confusion and questions about what he had revealed to her. He had used the same spell on her then, as well, to help her fall asleep.

He had watched her during that day as she focused on her tapestry in her small home, weaving the threads, though she wasn't as fast as usual. She'd had too much on her mind, making it hard to concentrate, and he felt guilty for having caused her deep confusion. But he knew she would eventually understand, and so he chose to wait.

Syaoran's thoughts returned to the prince, and he wondered what he would do if Sakura did fall in love with him after all. Prince Kei was dangerous and Syaoran knew he wouldn't treat her kindly once the masquerade was over. She didn't deserve to be treated and used as a tool, not after what had happened to her. All he could do was warn her.

…

Sakura woke as the sun was about to set, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, she remembered that she had been learning how to use her magic, and that she had fallen asleep.  
"Are you awake?"  
Wide awake, she realised her head was resting in Syaoran's lap. She sat up quickly, face bright red, and was unable to meet his eyes.  
"S-sorry..." she blushed.  
"It's fine, Sakura. You should really head home, though. It's getting dark." Syaoran replied.  
Sakura nodded, "Alright."  
"Here-I want you to read the first chapter of each of these books by tomorrow. I'll go over it with you again when you get here for your lesson." Syaoran handed her three, large leather-bound books.  
Sakura stared at them with dread.  
"Ok..."  
"Sakura."

Here eyes snapped up and she met his gaze. He smiled softly. "Good work today."

…

As Sakura approached her house, she thought of the gentle care and kindness Syaoran often showed her and blushed. She could feel her heart racing, thudding against her ribs, and she wasn't sure what made her feel this way.  
She looked up as she spotted someone waiting for her outside her house, and as she got closer she realised it was the prince.  
She remembered Syaoran's advice to be careful around him, and continued forwards.

Prince Kei looked up and greeted her with a smile. "Hello, my lady. You must have been busy today."  
Sakura nodded. "Good evening, your highness. Sorry to have kept you waiting; I'm currently attending lessons under a medic who lives in the forest." She lied carefully.  
"Ah, I see. My apologies-I didn't realise." He smiled.

Sakura spotted the bouquet of flowers he was holding and felt her face warm.

"I hope you don't mind, but I hope you like these. I picked them from a nearby flower field for you."

He held out the bouquet of colourful blossoms and she took them.  
"Thank you..." she replied.  
"Anything for you, my lady." Prince Kei held eye contact with her as he bowed, and then left her in peace.

With a soft sigh, she headed inside and placed the flowers in a vase after setting the books down on her table. She wasn't going to throw them away-they had been picked for her, so she might as well look after them while she could.  
Briefly she wondered what Syaoran would think about the prince giving her flowers. She sighed softly and moved to light the fire and make herself something to eat.

It was a cold night. Sakura sat in front of the fire with a thick blanket around her shoulders while she studied the books Syaoran had given her, careful not to get food on the pages. As she flicked through the pages, she noticed that they spoke of the various rituals and duties gods performed, but it hardly made any sense to her.

Sighing, she returned to the front of the book and read the first chapter-it explained the cycle of life, how everything interacted with each other and how they impacted each other. Sakura couldn't help but smile-she never would have thought that gods and goddesses had to do schooling, but it made sense.  
It was kind of silly to assume that they kind of just knew it out of nowhere.  
As she read the chapters, she started to get more and more confused as none of it made much sense to her. Irritated, Sakura closed the books and crawled into bed.  
She'd have to ask him her questions the next day when they met up for her training.


	5. Chapter 5

**Pro tip: don't be an asshole. You have no idea what the other person is going through in their life. Be compassionate. Be kind. :)**

* * *

Sakura felt utterly confused and quite terrified when she found herself in the presence of so many gods and goddesses. Her posture was stiff, and she could feel stares burning into her skin. Whispers were surrounding her, making her uncomfortable.

It had happened during one of her lessons. Sakura was taking a break from her magic control exercises in which Syaoran repeatedly put her under intense pressure, but she seemed to be handling it ok.  
"There's a little gathering coming up that I'd like you to be at." Syaoran said from where he stood.  
Sakura looked at him with confusion, prompting him to elaborate.  
"Every now and again all of the gods and goddesses of this region have a gathering to discuss large scale issues that may be occurring."  
"Oh."  
"It will be a good learning experience for you. I want you to observe the discussions taking place and talk with some of the others about their roles." Syaoran told her.

That was about a week ago. She looked to Syaoran who stood beside her looking very calm and handsome in his godly attire of green and gold.  
"Um...I don't think I belong here..." Sakura mumbled.

She was dressed in another of her plain cotton dresses and white flats. Everyone else around her seemed to be wearing attire befitting of gods and goddesses-even Meiling was in a dress that gave the illusion of water.

Syaoran smiled. "Don't say that. Besides, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you're dressed appropriately."

"What do you mean?" she mumbled.  
She half expected him to somehow conjure up something for her to change into, while the other part of her just wanted to go home and crawl under her bed covers.  
As if knowing what she was thinking, Syaoran gave her a disapproving stare.  
"Things don't just come out of thin air, Sakura."  
"So you _can_ read my mind." She mumbled.  
"It's written all over your face. Besides, going home and crawling into bed will do nothing to benefit you." He chided.  
Sakura puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, making Syaoran sigh.

"Sakura!" A familiar voice shouted from across the large golden hall.

A girl with long, wavy black hair and lavender coloured eyes was making her way to Sakura in a hurry. She wore an elaborate gown of violet and silver, and beside her was a man. He had navy blue hair and matching eyes, his expression kind.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Tomoyo-"  
Tomoyo flung her arms around Sakura, nearly pushing her over.  
"It's so good to see you again!"  
"Tomoyo? Why are you here?" Sakura gaped with disbelief.  
"Because I'm meant to be, silly goose."

Sakura stared at her cousin and best friend with total and utter confusion. She looked to Syaoran who seemed to be in deep discussion with Tomoyo's companion.  
"So... you're a goddess, too?"  
Tomoyo smiled at her knowingly. "I'm sorry I had to leave so suddenly, Sakura. But..."  
"You had a duty, right?" Sakura smiled softly.  
Tomoyo looked surprised, but then smiled and nodded.  
"Thank you for understanding."  
She then lifted the bag she was holding.  
Sakura knew then that Tomoyo had made her something. Even when they were growing up, Tomoyo would often make Sakura new clothes, even if she didn't need them.  
"Let's get you changed, shall we?" Tomoyo smiled and grabbed Sakura's hand, pulling her along behind her.

Syaoran watched after Sakura, relieved that she could see her best friend again.  
"So, when did you fall in love with her?"  
Syaoran's eyes snapped back to Tomoyo's companion, Eriol.

He and Eriol had grown up together under the same mentor, resulting in them becoming close friends. However, their mentor had been killed quite some time ago. It was uncommon and terrible, but it did happen.

"No idea." Syaoran shrugged.  
Eriol smiled, "So, you've started her training?"  
He nodded, "I hope I haven't been pushing her too hard."  
"I'm sure she'll be fine. After all, she's loved by her god." Eriol joked, and Syaoran rolled his eyes.  
"So do we even have anything interesting to discuss, or is this going to be another messy party?" Syaoran mumbled.  
Eriol's expression suddenly turned serious.  
"As for that matter..."  
Syaoran waited.  
Eriol lifted his eyes to something behind him, "It will have to wait. Here she comes."

Syaoran turned to see Sakura dressed in an intricate gown of pink, ivory and gold. The soft material clung to the gentle curves of her bust and hips, falling to the floor gently. The sleeves were open and fell gracefully from her shoulders to the floor.

Sakura's face turned red and he realised he had been staring at her for too long, and he quickly averted his gaze.  
"It suits you." He spoke softly.  
"Thank you..." Sakura blushed.  
Eriol nodded agreement, "It really does look wonderful on you, miss Sakura."  
Sakura blinked in surprise. "Forgive me...I'm not sure I know you."  
Eriol bowed, "My name is Eriol. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."  
"Oh-yes. Mine too." Sakura replied.

Syaoran nodded towards the gathering gods over at the large table.  
"It's time to be seated."  
"Shall we go then?" Eriol said, and then turned to walk over to where the other gods and goddesses were gathering.

Syaoran followed behind, along with Sakura and Tomoyo. Nervous, Sakura sat down at Syaoran's side, with Tomoyo on her other.

A scroll appeared in front of everyone but Sakura, and she watched as Syaoran read through the contents carefully.

"So, things are getting hostile between our country and the neighbouring country of Tides, hm?" a voice sounded at the far end of the table, but loud enough everyone could hear.  
"It would appear that way. The king is dying, and there's nothing that can be done to stop the spread of disease. The crown prince seems rather agitated." A female's voice spoke this time. Sakura couldn't see who it was.  
"The crown prince is currently in Alyrias." Syaoran spoke.  
"Why on earth is he there? Everyone in Alyrias is beneath him, and he's set himself against the gods."  
"He's looking for a wife. He has someone in mind."

An unsettling silence filled the air and Sakura felt some eyes on her.

"So, he has his eyes set on your apprentice, hm? What will you do?"

Syaoran sighed. "I'm not to meddle unless the situation calls for it. Sakura will have to handle it herself."

"You always were honest and stayed true to your duties. That's quite admirable, but what if the prince should suddenly somehow take her away? You can't leave Alyrias and we can't have the prince using a goddess as some kind of weapon." Someone asked.

"I will not allow it to happen." Syaoran spoke calmly, but firmly.

Sakura didn't understand what was going on at all. They were talking about her like she wasn't even there.

She looked to Syaoran, but he gave no indication that he noticed.

"Sakura, it will be alright." Tomoyo spoke softly. "Syaoran will explain everything to you later so you can understand."

Seeing her friends honest smile, Sakura nodded and relaxed again, continuing to observe the meeting.

…

After the meeting had finished, the atmosphere shifted dramatically and Sakura found herself surrounded by tables with many types of food and drink available. She watched as gods and goddesses chatted and laughed with one another. It was a little bizarre, seeing such a change of mood when things had been so serious just moments before.  
It took Sakura by surprise.

Sakura was startled when Meiling popped up beside her.  
"Are you bored?" she asked with a smile.  
"No-just a little overwhelmed." Sakura replied.  
"That's understandable." Meiling said, "This is all totally new to you."  
Tomoyo walked over and joined the pair, "It's lovely to see you, Meiling."  
"Thank you, Tomoyo." Meiling smiled. "It seems Sakura is the star of the party tonight."  
Sakura blinked. "Huh?"  
"Well her circumstances were and are a little unusual, so I'm not surprised they're all talking about her." Tomoyo smiled.

Sakura jumped as several other gods and goddesses popped up to talk with her, bombarding her with hundreds of questions she could barely keep track of. She looked around for Meiling and Tomoyo, but they had been lost in the crowd.

' _Someone please get me out of here!'_ she shouted in her mind.

It was too much to handle all at once.  
Syaoran walked over with concern.  
"Sakura, I need to leave now. There are some things I must tend to in Alyrias." He said.  
She spotted Tomoyo and Meiling with him and wondered if they had gone to get his help.  
Sakura nodded understanding, though she was relieved.  
"I suppose I should head home as well. Tomoyo, will I get to see you again?"  
Tomoyo beamed, "Absolutely!"  
Sakura smiled back brightly, "I look forward to it, Tomoyo. Look after yourself."  
"You too." Tomoyo replied as she hugged her.

Syaoran turned and started to leave, and Sakura quickly followed behind.  
After walking through a thick white fog, Sakura found herself back in the forest with Syaoran. It was dark-very dark.  
"Huh?" she blinked, confused.  
She was sure they had only been away for two or three hours at most, not long enough for it to be late night, especially since they'd only left once she had arrived that morning.  
"I'll take you home first. It's on my way to where I have to go, and the forest is dangerous at night." He spoke.  
"Oh-thank you..." Sakura blushed again.

Syaoran looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, "Actually...would you like to come with me?"  
Sakura blinked with surprise.  
"Ok."  
Syaoran started walking and Sakura followed behind.

"There's a family that needs help. They're a young couple and have had trouble conceiving for quite some time. They were luckily able to have a child, but the mother was informed she couldn't have any more children, or she could die." Syaoran started explaining.

"What's happened...?" Sakura asked.

"The child is dying. She has pneumonia." Syaoran told her sadly. "I'm going to ease her pain. Whether she can pull through will depend on her and the medic looking after her."

"So, you don't...take the illness away...?" Sakura asked with confusion.  
Syaoran sighed softly. "It really depends on the person."

Sakura was still confused, but Syaoran didn't elaborate. They continued in silence until they reached a little house. Inside, the lamps were still lit.  
Syaoran held his hand out to Sakura, and she took it without asking any questions.

He guided her inside the house, the walls barely stopping their entrance, and he entered a room where a little girl was struggling to breathe as she slept. The girls' parents were at her side looking grief stricken.  
"It's all because of that witch!" the man growled.  
Sakura felt like something hard had slammed into her chest, her breath knocked from her lungs. The child in the bed was the little girl who had hurt her knee the other week.

Syaoran squeezed her hand and walked over to the girls' bedside. Sakura realised that neither of the parents were able to see them as Syaoran knelt, placing his hand against the girls' forehead. Sakura watched as a gentle glow enveloped his hand and her breathing eased.  
"Hopefully she'll pull through." Syaoran murmured, and then took Sakura's hand again, leading her out of the house.  
Sakura thought of the harsh words spoken by the girls' father. She wondered if it really was her fault after all.

Syaoran glanced at Sakura's troubled face and he sighed softly, walking with her to her house in silence.  
They stopped and Sakura looked up with surprise.  
"Oh...we're here." She mumbled with disappointment.  
Syaoran raised his brow. "You sound disappointed. What's wrong?"  
Sakura realised they were still holding hands. Her face grew hot and she pulled her hand back.  
"I don't really know." Sakura confessed.  
"Do you have any questions in regard to tonight?" Syaoran asked.  
Sakura nodded honestly. "I am a bit confused."  
"Shall I explain inside?" he suggested.

Sakura smiled and gave a little nod before heading inside with Syaoran behind her.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked.  
"No, but thank you for the offer. May I sit?" he replied.  
"Of course."  
They both sat down in the chairs in her living space, and Sakura nibbled her lip.  
"What's this about a war...?"

Syaoran crossed his legs. "Our country has been on rocky terms with Tides for quite some time. A war has been declared, and as the King is dying, Prince Kei is searching for a wife in an attempt to show that this is still a strong country. He's also looking for a weapon to give him an advantage." He told her. "He must have heard of you through his information network, or some other means."

"So, he really only wants me for my magic?" she asked with dismay.  
"Yes."  
"Does he know I'm a goddess...?"  
Syaoran shook his head. "No."  
She nodded.  
"Be careful with him-he's against the gods." He spoke, "If he ever does find out you're a goddess, I don't know what he'll try and do to you."

Sakura simply nodded. She hadn't wanted to believe that the prince was only interested in her for her magic. He just wanted to use her.

A gentle hand cupped her cheek and she looked up to meet Syaoran's gaze.  
"I'm sorry." He spoke so softly and sincerely it was almost heartbreaking.  
Sakura smiled. "Don't be. It's not your fault."  
He still looked apologetic. "Sakura, you're not alone."  
Sakura blinked and looked at him with bewilderment.  
He retracted his hand, "Goodnight, love."

Then, he was gone.

* * *

 **I'm having a rough time. Can you tell?**

 **Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It might be a while before my next update. Depression isn't particularly easy to deal with at the moment-I'm trying my best.**

 **As usual, constructive criticism is always welcome. :) I've already noted down some things I can improve upon, so I hope it shows through in future chapters. Though with me it does take quite some time to get better. I was looking back at some of my older works from about five or six years ago and cringing so much. Comparing those works to my current works has shown me how much I've improved over the years, so I'll keep trying :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Thanks for your support and feedback, it means a lot. There's a note at the end that's important, so please read it.**

 **ENJOY THE CHAPTER WOOO!**

* * *

Sakura stood at her bench, lost in thought. Her mind kept wandering back to Syaoran and their talk the night before. That was twice he had told her she wasn't alone, but she still wasn't sure what he meant. She was alone. She was completely cut off from the villagers due to their hatred towards her, and the last time she had fallen in love...

Sakura shook her head of the memories. She didn't want to remember.

A soft knock sounded at her door. Snapped from her daze, she walked over and pulled it open to find a familiar face.  
"Meiling?" Sakura raised her brow, "Why are you dressed in regular clothes?"  
Meiling burst out laughing. "Because I can't walk through the village in a pale white dress and gold jewellery. It would attract far too much attention."  
Sakura nodded slowly, "Ok... Do you want to come in? Oh-I haven't forgotten a lesson, have I?" she panicked, but Meiling shook her head as she stepped inside.  
"You haven't. I just wanted to see how you were doing is all. The gathering must have made you uncomfortable." Meiling replied.  
Sakura lowered her eyes. "There's still a lot I don't understand, but I'm sure that I'll learn in time. I admit I was a bit shocked." She confessed.  
Meiling smiled warmly. "Luckily, you're able to see Tomoyo again. And you have others you can rely on, too."  
Sakura grinned. "I really missed Tomoyo. I honestly thought I'd never see her again. I was shocked to learn she was a goddess, too."  
Meiling nodded, "I doubt she was allowed to tell you."

Sakura looked confused once more and so she elaborated.

"Typically when we're learning to come into our own, we have mentors. Your mother was a goddess who chose to marry a mortal, and so she bound herself to him." Meiling explained. "Tomoyo's mentor was Eriol; he had her watch over and befriend you when you were younger. She's very fond of you."  
Sakura looked thoughtful. "If a god binds themselves to a mortal...does that mean they both die around the same time...?" she asked.  
Meiling nodded as she sat down. "Essentially all it means is that when the mortal dies, so too does your life end." She replied.

Sakura nodded, finally understanding the passing of her mother so soon after her father's death.

"It's also not uncommon for a mentor and apprentice to form romantic bonds with each other." Meiling added slyly.  
Sakura's face turned bright red. "B-but-I don't..."  
Meiling giggled. "It's ok. It's not the same with everyone. For example, Tomoyo loves another goddess."  
"Oh...I see."

Sakura wondered why she felt a pang of disappointment and fear, but quickly squashed it.

"What about your mentor?" she asked curiously.  
Meiling smiled sadly. "He was killed long ago."  
"Meiling, I'm sorry..."  
"It's fine." She said, "I'll tell you more, one day."  
Sakura smiled, "I'd like that."

Meiling nodded towards the bench, "You're mixing more remedies again?"  
Sakura nodded. "Though...no one really buys them...but they seem to get used anyway."  
"Syaoran's doing, no doubt."  
"Ugh, you didn't have to tell her." Syaoran muttered from the chair beside Sakura, who jumped in surprise.  
"When did you get here?" Sakura asked.  
"I've been sitting here for a while." He replied.  
Meiling fell into a fit of giggles and Syaoran rolled his eyes.  
"Anyway, what does she mean by that?" Sakura asked.  
"Oh, it's quite simple really," Meiling grinned, "He takes the remedies you make and distributes them to those in need."  
"Meiling!" Syaoran frowned.  
Meiling laughed.  
Sakura looked to Syaoran. "Is that true?" she asked.  
Syaoran sighed in defeat. "Yes."  
Sakura sighed with relief. "Oh, thank goodness they aren't going to waste."  
Syaoran stared at her with surprise. "You're not mad?" he asked.  
She shook her head. "It makes me happy that something I've made is being used to help others."  
Syaoran smiled. "That's good, then."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Meiling asked sceptically.  
"I'm free and I wanted to see Sakura. Is there something wrong with that?" he asked.  
Sakura's face turned red and Meiling noticed. She smiled, deciding she'd have to tell Tomoyo about this new happening.

"Summer's around the corner, huh? The festival along with it." Meiling murmured.  
"That's right." Syaoran replied, "It's going to get very busy."

Sakura walked back over to her bench to finish grinding herbs, and Syaoran watched her for a moment.  
"Sakura, I want you to take part in the festival too." He spoke.  
She looked up with surprise. "What-I always participate..." she stopped when he shook his head.  
"I mean I want you to participate as my apprentice."  
"Oh!" Sakura gasped, "But...I don't know what to do."  
"I'll be teaching you all you need to know. Don't stress." Syaoran smiled.

Meiling nodded, "I agree with Syaoran. It will be good for you to participate in the festivals-all of them."  
Sakura looked to Syaoran with worry. "But what about my offering...?"  
Syaoran waved his hand. "You don't have to worry about it."  
Sakura still looked worried, but Syaoran smiled. "If it makes you feel better, you can still give me an offering. But you are a goddess, and you don't have to."  
Sakura shook her head. "I am still a resident of Alyrias, and therefore, as a citizen, I must give my offering in thanks for the Gods' protection." She stated firmly.

It was Syaoran's turn to blush as he stared at her with total surprise.  
Meiling giggled. "The water festival is coming up soon. I'd like it if you would come and watch my dance."  
"Your dance?" Sakura asked.

"Meiling performs many rituals for water purification which keeps the lake and river water drinkable. Her dances are known by all the gods, and often some will come to watch." Syaoran explained with a smile.  
"May I help you?" he then asked, nodding towards the bench.

Sakura stared at him with surprise before she finally nodded. Syaoran stood and joined her, working beside her to mix medicine to ease harsh coughs.

"I didn't know you did so much for our village, Meiling. Thank you so much." Sakura smiled.  
Meiling laughed. "It's my duty, so long as I keep receiving the offerings."  
Sakura smiled a little sadly. "I wish I could enjoy the festivals like I used to..."

Syaoran looked at her with gentle concern before returning his focus to the work in front of him. Ever since "that incident", Sakura had been unable to enjoy the village festivities like she used to. Not since the village started to scorn her-to fear and hate her.  
Syaoran remembered that day vividly-he would never forget it.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Sakura moved to go open it. Standing in wait for her was the prince.  
"Prince Kei...how can I help you?" Sakura smiled kindly. She felt a gentle warmth beside her.  
"I'm here." Syaoran whispered quietly.  
Sakura knew that Syaoran was with her, most likely invisible to the prince.  
"Oh-is that your friend?" Prince Kei nodded to Meiling.  
Sakura nodded.  
"May I come in?" he then asked. "I shan't be long."  
Sakura nodded and allowed him in. She was sure she heard Syaoran sigh with exasperation.  
Prince Kei stepped inside, "May I sit?"  
"Of course." Sakura smiled as she sat down in the chair across from him.

Prince Kei removed a small box from his pocket and handed it to her. "I bought you this. I thought it would suit you."  
She took it and opened the box, finding a gold broach in the shape of a star, with a diamond in the centre.  
"What...?" she stared at the prince with surprise, confused by his gesture.  
"It's a gift. Please, keep it."  
Sakura looked unsure. She felt the gentle warmth of Syaoran beside her.  
Meiling walked over to Sakura and glanced at the broach before gasping, "Is that solid gold?"  
"It is. You have a good eye." Prince Kei smiled.  
"I can't accept this...it's too much." Sakura said.

Prince Kei lifted his hand to stop her from speaking. "Please, I want you to have it." He said as he stood and walked over to her. He was a good head taller than her, and he made eye contact with her as he lifted some strands of her hair with his fingertips.  
"Besides, I want to get to know you better."  
Sakura felt her face heat up and suddenly she felt very uncomfortable.  
"Do you not want to know me better?" he asked bit a little bit of hurt.

Syaoran gently pulled Sakura back into him, forcing her to step back from the prince. Sakura remembered Syaoran's warnings clearly as his hands rested on her shoulders.

"It's not that," she whispered. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me. I'm sure you've heard from the villagers what happened a few years ago."  
He smiled kindly. "I have. But I haven't heard your side, so I can't make a fair judgement."

Meiling sneezed loudly, "Sakura, can you finish making that medicine for me? I really have to get home to my daughter..."

Prince Kei laughed, "It seems I've interrupted your work. My deepest apologies, my lady." He spoke softly, tenderly even. "I would like to invite you to dinner this evening. Please, will you join me? Think of it as thanks for your gift."

When he put it that way, Sakura knew she couldn't refuse.  
Syaoran sensed her worries and sighed softly. "Meiling will take care of you."  
Hearing his words, Sakura nodded.  
Prince Kei smiled brightly. "Wonderful-I'll come and pick you up later."  
"Thank you very much." Sakura replied as she let him out.  
"Keep working hard, my lady." Prince Kei said before turning and leaving.

Sakura closed the door and turned to see Syaoran's look of worry for her. Meiling whacked him on the back.  
"Stop looking so glum. If anything happens, I'll keep her safe. Don't forget your duties as god to this village."  
He glared at her for a moment, but Sakura smiled.  
"Please don't worry about me, Syaoran. I'm a lot more comfortable knowing Meiling will be there."  
Syaoran relaxed. "Alright. Meiling, I leave her in your care."  
Meiling laughed, "You did that a while ago."  
Syaoran sighed, "I better leave. Sakura don't hesitate to call on me for whatever reason, even if it's small or the middle of the night."  
Sakura blushed, "Thank you, Syaoran."

Then, he disappeared.

...

Syaoran followed the prince back to his inn room, worried about what he had planned. As Prince Kei sat down and leant back in his chair, his retainer walked in. Syaoran had learnt their names after watching them often; the big brute was Gin, while his other more serene retainer was Ren.  
Ren sat down with the prince who sighed heavily.  
"Have preparations made at a decent restaurant for myself and that girl." Prince Kei ordered.  
Ren looked surprised. "Very well. How did the gift go?"  
"I'm not sure. I don't think she's ever received such a gift before. She had a friend with her as well, so I couldn't catch her alone." He responded irritably.

Syaoran frowned. Why did he want her alone?

"Oh? But from what I heard, she doesn't have any friends or family." Ren replied.  
"Well, apparently we are wrong. She had a girl with her-she had red eyes. I don't recall ever seeing such a woman." Prince Kei said.  
Ren looked up in interest. "Red? Sounds similar to the goddess of water that roams these parts, or so the legend says."  
Kei rolled his eyes. "Oh please, don't give me that crap about the gods being real. If they were real, why would they let this war happen?"  
"Perhaps if you ask nicely, they'll tell you." Ren snickered.  
"Oh, very funny."

Syaoran sighed heavily and then left, heading back into the forest. He was never going to let Sakura be alone with the prince-not if he could help it.

…

Sakura sighed anxiously as she paced up and down the length of her small house. She was due to be picked up any minute now, and the more she thought about it, the more she worried. She had spent her entire day stressing over it, so much so that she ended up messing up several of the medicinal remedies she'd been making.  
It felt as though something bad was going to happen.  
Something that would make things become a lot worse.

"Sakura, I'll be right there beside you. Don't worry." Meiling spoke gently, but firmly.  
Sakura stopped and took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Alright...I'll be fine." She murmured to herself.

A knock sounded at her door and Sakura jumped. Suddenly the anxiety started all over again as she walked over to answer it.  
Standing on the other side was one of Prince Kei's retainers.  
He smiled kindly. "The prince awaits you at the restaurant. I hope you don't mind?"  
"Oh-not at all." Sakura replied.  
"Wonderful. Shall we get moving then?"  
Sakura nodded and quickly grabbed her shoulder bag before following the man to a carriage.  
"Right behind you." Meiling told her.

Sakura stepped inside and sat down, fidgeting anxiously.  
"Are you nervous, my lady?" the man asked, nodding to her hands.  
Sakura felt her cheeks burn. "A little."  
"You're not used to this sort of thing?"  
Sakura shook her head. "No."  
He smiled kindly, "Just be yourself. There's nothing to fear."  
Sakura smiled although it was a little strained. "Thank you for your kindness."  
He just smiled.

They arrived at the restaurant in under ten minutes. Sakura walked in to find it was quiet. Sitting at a table in the middle of the room was the prince. Swallowing hard, Sakura walked over to him.  
He looked up and smiled, "Ah, thank you for coming. Have a seat."  
"Thank you." Sakura replied as she sat down.  
She felt Meiling beside her.

Sakura stared at the menu in front of her, avoiding his gaze.  
She quickly decided on something to eat and a glass of water, setting the menu to the side.

"Well, now that we're alone, why don't you tell me about yourself?" he smiled.  
"What would you like to know?" she asked, still avoiding his gaze.  
"Well, are you interested in anyone right now?"  
Sakura shook her head. "Everyone in the village hates me."  
"It seems like they want you gone. Why do you stick around when everyone treats you as an outcast?" he asked.  
"I like the forest, and it's peaceful." She answered plainly.  
The prince raised his brow, "Surely that's not all?"  
Sakura swallowed a little. "Everyone might hate me, but I was still born and raised here. I love this place."  
"I see." He murmured. "Why don't you tell me your side of the story that we were discussing earlier today?"  
Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "It's not something I like to talk about." She replied.  
"I'm not going to hurt you, my dear. I'm just trying to understand you." Prince Kei smiled kindly.

Sakura sighed softly. "I... you've heard all about me, right? How even as time passes, I don't age, and I possess magic..."  
"Indeed, I have heard." He replied.  
Meiling snorted beside Sakura. "Compared to you, he may as well still be in diapers."

Sakura tried not to look too shocked where she sat, knowing that the prince could neither hear nor see Meiling unless she willed him to.

She swallowed, "Well...a number of years ago, there was a man I was in a relationship with. We had gone out with some of his friends for the night, and he'd been drinking heavily." Sakura started, and she didn't want to go any further, but the prince was watching her closely.

Meiling placed a comforting hand on her arm.

"When we were leaving the pub, he and his friends were talking about me in...vile and disgusting ways-talking about things they wanted to do to me. I thought they were just joking until he tied me up."

The prince watched her thoughtfully. "They tried to rape you?" he asked.  
Sakura jumped at the word. After a minute, she nodded.  
"They deserved whatever they got, then."  
"No! It was my fault, no one deserved it!" she protested.  
"You're too kind." He shook his head.

Sakura looked confused. Syaoran had told her the same thing once.

"My mind is made up," he said, "You've told me all I need to know, to know that they deserved whatever they got and the hate towards you is unjust."

Sakura looked away and the prince gently placed a hand over hers. He smiled in a way that was almost comforting. Well, it would be if Syaoran and Meiling hadn't warned her about him. Instead, she just felt very uncomfortable.  
"You can rely on me."  
His hands, however, felt almost threatening.

Meiling sat in silence. Sakura stole a quick glance at her to see that Meiling was eyeing the prince with an odd interest.

"Thank you, your grace-"  
"Please, just call me Kei." He smiled.  
She swallowed hard. "Thank you...Kei, I really appreciate it. But I still have my mentor-I have so much I still need to learn. I can't leave. I don't want to leave."  
"I would like to meet your mentor one day." Kei said simply.  
"I'll tell them that, but I can't guarantee they'll agree. They're not very...social."

Meiling snorted into a fit of laughter.

"I can wait. I'm quite patient." Prince Kei said.

Sakura fidgeted for a minute. She looked up with relief as their meals were placed in front of them, and Sakura ate in silence.  
As she ate, Meiling swore.  
"Sakura, I'm so sorry, but duty calls."  
When Sakura looked up, there was no sign of Meiling anywhere, and she was left alone with the prince.  
Completely and utterly alone.

When they had both finished eating, the prince glanced out the window at the large crowd of angry villagers.  
"I wonder what has them so angry?" he mused.  
"It's because I'm with you." Sakura replied. "I should really be heading home...thank you very much for inviting me to dine with you."  
He held up his hand to stop her. "I want to address the crowd with you here, please."

Knowing she couldn't refuse, she simply nodded. She was scared, knowing that Meiling was no longer with her to help her if she needed it.  
They stood together, and with shaking legs she followed him to the doors, stepping out behind him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Prince Kei asked calmly.  
A woman on Sakura's left spoke up. "Your grace-she's a witch! You should stay away from her before you get hurt!"  
He seemed to consider her words for a moment. "Thank you kindly for your concern. But I am in no danger, I assure you. We were merely having dinner together in celebration."  
"Celebration?" a man spoke.

Kei turned to Sakura and smiled as he pulled her into his arms. "Yes. A celebration of our engagement."  
Shocked silence filled the air and Sakura felt her head spinning.  
"She's going to be your new Queen."

Then, he kissed her. Head whirring, Sakura stood hopelessly in his hold as his lips moved against hers.  
No.  
It wasn't true.

She hadn't consented to this...

* * *

 **What do you think will happen now? Poor Sakura, huh?**

 **About the note: I may or may not be admitted to hospital due to my depression having gotten so bad in the last few weeks. So if it does happen, I won't be able to update until I get out, which could be weeks. I have up to chapter nine organised, so I'll definitely let you know in the next few days. Thanks for your understanding :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter. I'll answer some questions at the end of the chapter :)**

* * *

Syaoran sighed in frustration as he recognised the signs that called Meiling to duty. He was worried about Sakura, but his duties as a god came first and he needed to ensure the village was safe.

"You look frustrated."  
He looked up and met Eriol's sapphire eyes. "Eriol." He greeted.  
"Is Miss Sakura alright?" Eriol asked.  
"I'm not sure. Meiling was keeping an eye on her, but she was called back suddenly." Syaoran answered as he continued mixing the potion he was making.  
Eriol looked confused. "Why was Meiling with her?"  
"The prince invited Sakura out for dinner in such a way she couldn't refuse. Meiling was with her to make sure she'd be safe." Syaoran replied with a heavy sigh.  
"Ah, I see."  
"So, why are you here?" Syaoran asked. It wasn't often Eriol would pop around to see what he was up to, so he knew that there was either something wrong, or there was something he wanted.  
"I wanted to ask if Tomoyo could drop around every now and again to see Sakura." Eriol answered.  
Syaoran stopped for a moment and nodded. "I'm sure it would make Sakura happy. I think she misses Tomoyo."  
"I'll let Tomoyo know. Thank you, by the way." Eriol replied.

Syaoran simply nodded and Eriol left him to his work.

Syaoran completed his jobs and returned home to rest and replenish his strength in preparation for Sakura's lessons the next day. She still had a long way to go, but it seemed she wasn't as tired at the end of her magic and control lessons, which was a good sign. He glanced at the tapestry hanging on his wall and frowned with concern. Was Sakura alright?

He decided to check in on her and walked over to the water basin, looking into it. The water mirror showed him an image of Sakura, who was in bed, sleeping peacefully. She looked alright, but he still held a sense of unease. He decided he'd talk with her about it tomorrow to see if anything was wrong.  
Scratch that.  
He knew something was wrong.

He was anxious about what might have happened with the prince. If he weren't bound by the stupid contract between himself and the village, he'd deal with him in his own way. Perhaps it would come to that-but he'd really prefer if it didn't, since it would mean that something dire would have to occur for it to come to that.

While it was true that he was not a malicious god, there were some cases which he really wanted to act on his own accord. And this was one of those annoying times.

…

Morning arrived. Syaoran went for his usual walk through the forest, taking care to ease the spirits of the forest as he waited for Sakura. She was due to arrive soon, so he hoped to greet her without keeping her waiting for too long.

Things seemed quiet, so he carefully checked the Earth for impurities. Satisfied that there were none, he headed back to the shrine.

He saw Sakura was waiting patiently when he arrived, but her posture seemed tense. He stepped out and she turned to him.  
When he saw her, he thought his heart might stop: she was holding a rag to the right side of her face which seemed to be bleeding rather heavily, and some blood had dripped onto her dress.  
She gave him a tense smile.

He hurried over to her and placed a hand against her back, "Come inside." He murmured, leading her through the barrier of the shrine and into his home.  
He led her to a chair and helped her sit down before he gently took her hand holding that cloth to her face.  
"You don't need to worry." She smiled weakly.

He gave her a pointed look and she relented, allowing him to pull her hand away to reveal some terrible bruising and a large gash down the side of her face.  
He gently placed his hand against the wound and a soft glow surrounded his hand.

Sakura felt the throbbing pain start to lessen. The gash closed itself, and the bruising started to fade.  
"How does that feel?" he asked, keeping his hand against her cheek.  
She smiled. "It feels a lot better now. Thank you."  
"Do you have any other injuries that need healing?" he asked.  
She shook her head. "Just some bruises, that's it."

When he looked at her she sighed softly.

"Theres a few cuts on my arms and back." She mumbled.  
"Show me."

She turned bright red. "B-but, I'd have to..." she looked away, remembering he'd already seen everything. So, why shy away when he already had?  
"Alright."

Sakura stood and unbuttoned her dress, sliding it off her shoulders so it hung around her waist. She covered her bare chest with an arm while Syaoran examined the cuts on her back, healing them along with the cuts on her arms.

"Who attacked you?" Syaoran asked as Sakura dressed herself.  
"It was just some of the village folk." She shrugged.  
"What provoked the attack?" Syaoran then asked.

Sakura stayed silent and Syaoran looked over at her. "Sakura?"  
"I think...it's because of what the prince did last night."  
"What did he do, love?" he asked with increasing worry.

She looked away as she scrunched her fists in her skirt. "At the restaurant, after Meiling left... a group of angry villagers were waiting outside. The prince wanted to confront them with me at his side, and when he did, he told them he was going to marry me and..." she trailed off.

"And?" he pressed, feeling increasingly more infuriated with the prince with each passing second.  
"He kissed me. In front of everyone."

Syaoran stared at her with shock, worry and what seemed like anger.  
With a soft sigh, he moved to get a damp cloth and walked back over to her, gently wiping the blood away.  
They were quiet for a long time until he'd finally finished.

"You can cry, if you need to." He spoke softly.

Her body shuddered, and then a sob broke free, followed by many more. He held her for a long time until she finally calmed, and even then, she didn't make a move to part from him.

"What do I do?" Sakura whispered.

Syaoran squeezed her gently. "I don't know." He spoke honestly. "I'm so sorry Sakura. I promised you you'd be safe, but you got hurt. I'm so sorry."

She shook her head. "You have your duties, and Meiling has hers. It's just the way it is." She looked up at him and smiled. "I'll be alright."

He looked into her deep emerald eyes. "Sakura..."  
"I'll sort this out. I think I can."  
He smiled softly. "I wish you the best of luck, Sakura."  
She smiled brightly. "Thank you."  
"Are you up for your lessons, today?" he asked.

Perhaps going through their usual routine would help to relieve her of some of the stress she was under, and perhaps distract her. After all, there was only so much she could handle on her own, and Syaoran needed to drive home the point that she was NOT alone anymore.

She nodded, "Of course."  
"Great. Let's get started." He smiled.  
She nodded and followed him outside.

As usual, training was hard. Sakura was exhausted at the end of her magic and control lessons, but she wasn't as exhausted as she had been previously. At the very least, she could still consciously think and pay attention to what was happening around her, even if she did just want to drop to the floor and fall asleep.

"You're getting better. How tired are you feeling?" Syaoran asked.  
"Hmm...a bit tired. It feels like I've just done a very long run, I suppose." She replied.  
He nodded, "Your endurance is getting better."

She smiled. That was good to know, and it filled her with more confidence.

"Let's move on to your next lesson. Come with me."

She followed him, and they headed into the forest. It was late afternoon, and the sun was going to set soon, which led her to wonder why they were going into the forest at such a dangerous time of day.

"Part of my work includes keeping the lands of Alyrias prosperous. In order to do that, I must constantly check the earth for impurities."  
"Impurities?" she asked with some confusion.  
He nodded.  
"Impurities are often caused by various types of spirits or magic folk." He explained. "It's not an intentional thing. In fact, it's just another part of life, but if they build up over time, they can be dangerous to the land."

Sakura stumbled over a tree root but quickly regained herself. Syaoran looked at her with a raised brow for a moment and then shook his head.

"So, how do we find the impurities?" Sakura asked.  
"Come over this way."

He led her to a meadow. Some glowing lights were lingering in the air.  
"What're they?" she asked.  
"Impurities left behind by magic folk." He explained.  
"So.. how do you purify it?" Sakura questioned.  
The sun was beginning to settle low in the sky.  
"The easiest way I've found is to create an image in your mind of it gently dispersing." He explained. "Why don't you give it a try?"  
"What? Me? But..."  
He smiled, "It's ok, I have faith in you. I'll guide you."

She took in a deep breath and released it before nodding.

"Close your eyes and picture these impurities." He spoke softly, and Sakura did as instructed.  
"Imagine a gentle force to carry it away, as if you gave them a little nudge."

Sakura thought hard. What would be good?  
She remembered seeing cherry blossom petals gently carried off in the breeze once when she was still young. Sakura nibbled her lip.  
A soft breeze blew against their backs and Syaoran smiled.  
"That was very well done."

She opened her eyes to see the impurities were no longer around them.  
Syaoran nodded his approval, "Yes...but I think you used a little too much magic. But we'll work on that."  
"S-sorry..."  
"It's fine, you're still learning." He said softly. "There is a way to do it a lot quicker, but you're not ready for that. Come with me."

Sakura followed him through the forest until he came to a stop, holding his hand up for her to stop as well. She stopped behind him and he pulled her close, signalling for her to stay quiet. Then, he nodded to the clearing ahead.

Up ahead were strange looking creatures scavenging for what Sakura assumed to be food. They were approximately the size of a deer and had a similar shape, but their presence felt...dangerous.  
After a few moments, the creatures moved on.  
Syaoran sighed heavily. He was worried they might sense them.

"What...were they?" Sakura asked.  
It was well and truly dark now.  
"They're creatures of the night, and are quite dangerous, even for gods to be around." He explained. "If you ever see them, it's best to stay silent and take cover."  
"Alright..." she murmured. "But why? What can they do to a god or goddess that makes them so dangerous?"

Syaoran wondered how he should explain that. He sighed softly. It was best just to get straight to the point.  
"Even gods and goddesses are vulnerable to death."  
Sakura stared at him with a stunned expression, and he continued to explain.  
"We are vulnerable to three things-the attacks of another god or goddess; those creatures; and one other thing."  
"What's the other thing?" Sakura asked, increasingly more interested.  
"Weapons specifically designed to slay gods." He answered. "There aren't many around these days-they were all destroyed hundreds of years ago."  
"How were they created-by whom were they created? Surely humans don't have the ability to create such weapons?" Sakura asked curiously.

Syaoran smiled at her curiosity. It wasn't often that she took such an interest in something, even though she was always an attentive listener and fast learner.

"They were created by a god." He answered. "The intentions were good, but when they were given to humans to protect themselves, they became too confident, and tried to slay any and all gods. It threw off the divine balance, which became dangerous to the earth, and so we had to put a stop to the disaster."  
Sakura frowned in confusion. "They were made so humans could protect themselves?"  
He nodded. "Yes. Not all gods and goddesses are very passive. I've told you before that there are some who strike down humans simply because they may have done a minor mistake."  
Sakura shuddered. "I remember."  
"Some like minded gods got together and created the weapon so that humans could protect themselves from such disasters. Unfortunately, the outcome as you may have guessed, was total and utter chaos."

Sakura thought about the information that Syaoran had given her, but it still didn't make much sense to her.  
"Syaoran, if there are only three things that are fatal to us, then how come humans can do so much damage to me?"  
Syaoran watched her with an unreadable expression for a moment, and then he sighed softly.  
"I said there were three things that were fatal to us. Three things that can kill us. Humans can still hurt us and cause us injury, but no amount of pain or injury they inflict can kill us. We endure it-we get through it-because we aren't human."  
Sakura stared at him. She only felt more confused. "But-then why did you heal me…"  
This time he smiled. "Because I can't stand seeing you in pain."

She felt her cheeks heat up, and there was an uncomfortable silence.

"I'm guessing you're also wondering how it is that those creatures of the night can harm us, too?" Syaoran diverted her attention from his comment.  
She nodded, words unable to form on her lips due to feeling so flustered.  
"It's because they themselves are not unlike gods themselves."

Sakura just stared at him. He could tell she still had so many questions for him, but he didn't have time to explain it all.

"I'll walk you home." Syaoran said, "You'll learn about the other creatures in time."  
"How many are there?" she asked curiously, suddenly distracted.  
He laughed a little. "Too many different kinds to count."  
"Oh." Sakura mumbled.

They walked through the forest together, and as they were walking, Sakura spoke. It had been on her mind for a while, and she wanted Syaoran to know.

"Um...a while back, when I got home from one of my lessons, the prince was waiting for me." She confessed. "He asked me where I'd been, and I told him I was apprenticed to a medic in the forest. Sorry."  
"Why are you apologising? You're not entirely wrong." Syaoran said. She _was_ his apprentice, and he did make various medicines.  
"Ah-well...last night, the prince said he wanted to meet my mentor. I don't think I'll be able to stop him from asking me questions until..."  
He smiled. "It's fine. I don't mind meeting him."  
"You're not going to do anything sneaky, are you?" Sakura mumbled.  
"Sneaky?" he looked shocked. "No, not with the first meeting."  
Sakura looked at him with confusion, but he didn't elaborate. Instead, he looked a little lost in thought.

They finally left the forest and Sakura looked to Syaoran who continued walking with her.  
Sensing her question, he spoke. "I'll walk with you the rest of the way."  
"You don't have to..." Sakura mumbled.

"It's fine. Let's go." Syaoran smiled.

Besides, he was still worried about Sakura, especially after what had happened to her that morning. They walked in silence down the hill and through the streets. For the most part, the streets were quiet at night, except for the few who liked to hang around at the pub. Sakura avoided the pub-she hated the memory that came with it.

"There's someone following us." Syaoran murmured.  
"I'm used to it. Just keep walking... hold on, are you visible to them...?" she asked.  
"Yes, for now anyway." He replied. "Is that an issue?"  
"No...I don't think so, anyway." She replied. "Besides, if you just suddenly disappeared into thin air, they would probably freak out even more and the village would surely be after my head."  
He nodded, and they continued down the road.

With her comment, Sakura suddenly wondered what would actually happen if she were beheaded. And sensing her unspoken question, Syaoran answered.  
"I would never let that happen to you, so you don't even need to think about it."  
"Oh-okay." She stammered.

Sakura came to a stop outside her house and turned to Syaoran, who was watching her with concern yet again.  
"Same time tomorrow?" she asked.

"Of course. Oh-make sure you read up on chapters nine and ten. There's some interesting pieces of information about some of the magic folk in there that you should know." He added. "And if you're interested, read up on the human rebellion. You can find that information the brown leather-bound book I gave you."  
She smiled brightly, "Of course. I'll do that tonight."  
"Great. Stay safe."  
She nodded and pushed open her door, stepping inside.

The first thing she chose to do was light a fire in the hearth so she could start cooking her dinner. As tired as she was, she still had much to do before the coming day.  
She started cutting up vegetables and prepared her meal, and while she waited for it to cook, she opened the large leather-bound book Syaoran had given her and turned to chapter nine.

It seemed like an index of various magical creatures which held her interest for such a long period of time she almost let her dinner burn. Thankfully it didn't burn, but she did let it go cold due to her attention being focused entirely on the big chapter of magical creatures.  
Sakura scolded herself for being careless and quickly finished her meal before reading any more of the chapter.  
She wondered what more Syaoran had in store for her, and what she still had yet to learn. She was excited to find out, and she was looking forward to her lesson the next day.  
But she was tired, and she needed her strength, so she placed a little piece of wool between the pages she was reading and closed the book before heading to bed for the night.

Little did she know of the brewing storm outside...

* * *

 **Thoughts? Is there anything you're curious about? I'm curious to know. At some point I'll go back to work on a few things in the previous chapters-just minor things, nothing major.**

 **Alrighty, I've had some questions asking me about why I'm depressed and what's happening. It's quite complex, so I'll give a basic summary. I suffer from a chronic illness which impacts my life quite dramatically-I can't work, and I can't attend any tertiary education because I'm just too unwell. This means I'm unable to do what most people my age are doing-working, moving out... I also can't attend social functions because of my health. So, it's a pretty vicious cycle. I can't work or study, I can't function, so I feel depressed. I am being treated, but unfortunately for my chronic illness, there has been no treatment that has worked thus far. We're still looking but I've been in pain 24/7 for the last six years. I'm literally never pain free.**


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura woke bright and early the next morning feeling well energised and a lot happier than she had felt in a long time. Smiling, she hopped out of bed and went to wash her face before beginning the day. She noticed she was low on water and took note to collect some before leaving to meet with Syaoran.

She dressed in a brown and creme dress and pulled on a pair of brown pumps before she grabbed her empty buckets and left the house to wander down to the stream.  
As she walked, she could hear whispers about her as she passed by.

"She's engaged to the prince and now she's sleeping with another man? What a tramp."

"I know, right? How depraved can she be?"

Sakura hurried her pace, anxious to get home. She guessed that they were all talking about how she had been walking home with Syaoran the previous night, and had made gross assumptions about her relationship with him.

Thankfully the stream wasn't far, and when she got there, she filled her buckets, bending down and allowing the water to flow in.  
She heard two people walk up, and she tried to ignore them. However, that was a mistake.

She was grabbed roughly, and her head was pushed into the water-startled by the sudden attack, she struggled against their hold and ended up inhaling some water. They pulled her head out and she coughed and spluttered, struggling to breathe.

"Think you can charm the prince, huh?" came a woman's angry voice before her head was pushed under water again.  
It was terribly painful, and Sakura wished the pain would stop. But, she remembered from her lesson from the previous night-she wouldn't die.  
Her vision started to fade.

"Sakura."

Sakura's eyes snapped open upon hearing the familiar, warm voice she had grown used to hearing. Using all her force, she fought back, shoving her body into the woman to her right and knocking her over. Free of their grasp, she grabbed the bucket full of water and tossed it on the other woman, soaking her.

"You little bitch!"  
"Get away from me," Sakura coughed violently, bringing up the water in her lungs, and she glared at them.

The two women backed off, eyeing her with utter disgust, and then left.  
Sakura coughed violently again and then gasped for air. She felt utterly exhausted, like she could collapse any moment.  
"My dear, are you alright?"  
She looked up to see Ren, one of the prince's retainers, eyeing her with concern.  
She stood, "I'm fine," she said weakly.  
"Please allow me to escort you home." He offered, his voice laced with worry.  
With no will to refuse, she simply nodded.

Ren walked over and refilled the buckets for Sakura, and then carried them over to her. "Can you walk?" he asked.  
Sakura nodded again, and they began their walk.  
"Forgive me for asking, but who is this man everyone in the village is talking about?" Ren asked curiously.  
"He's my mentor. Usually I'm home before the sun goes down, but something happened, and my lessons went for a longer period of time." She explained. "He didn't want me walking home alone in the dark."  
"Ah, I see."  
"I told him Prince Kei wants to meet him. He said he would."  
Ren looked surprised. "Honestly, I thought you were lying. It seems you aren't after all."

Sakura stayed silent, slightly offended.

"Sorry, I mean you no offence. I'll let the prince know. How about a meeting tomorrow?" Ren suggested.  
"Tomorrow? But isn't that too sudden?" Sakura asked with shock.  
"It's fine. Do you think you can do it?"  
"I'll have to ask my mentor..."  
"Well, we'll meet at your residence for lunch tomorrow. If he can't come, then that's fine."  
Sakura had no choice but to agree. "Very well then."

She thanked Ren for his help and he gave her a bow before leaving. She walked inside and ate something while she recovered, her body aching from her attack earlier.  
After a while, she stood and headed out to meet with Syaoran for her lesson.

When she got there, she was surprised to see Syaoran looking anxious where he waited.  
He spotted her, and he closed the space between them, bringing her into his arms. She was surprised by his sudden hug which held a sense of fear.  
"Are you alright? I saw what happened at the river." He spoke, his voice thick with worry.  
"I'm a bit sore," she admitted.  
"We'll take it easy today," he murmured, "Your body needs time to recover."

She nodded. She felt at ease in his arms, the warmth his body gave her kept her relaxed. She hadn't felt this safe and happy in a long time.  
She wondered what the feeling was...

He pulled away and she almost whined at the loss of contact. Thankfully she stopped herself.  
"Come inside. I'll make you something to help ease the pain." He said softly.

She nodded and followed him into his home, where she took a seat in one of the chairs while he prepared some medicine for her.  
The atmosphere of his house was comforting, and she found herself relaxing in her chair, nearly dozing off.

"Here, love. Don't go dozing off." He laughed.  
Sakura snapped back to attention. "Eh? Oh-I'm so sorry!"  
He smiled warmly. "It's fine."  
She took the warm cup from his hand and drank the medicine while he sat in the chair opposite her.  
"Syaoran?" She murmured.  
"Mm?"  
"You know all about what happened, back when that incident occurred, don't you?" She asked quietly.  
"You mean the incident where you lost control of your powers?" he asked.  
She nodded.  
"I do." He answered.

He remembered it vividly.  
The terror and anguish Sakura felt when the man she had trusted with her heart had tied her hands in that alley, and the tearing of her clothes. Her chaotic thoughts and the cracking of her soul.  
Her screams and her sudden explosion of magic that instantly killed her assailants.  
The sight of their torn bodies around her, and her sobs.

She lowered her eyes. "What I did...was unforgivable."  
"The same could be said for their actions." Syaoran replied.  
"But I killed them!" she argued.  
He remained calm. "Yes, you did. However, it's not uncommon for a god or goddess to kill a mortal. It's quite common for some to kill them simply because they're there."

Sakura looked at him with horror and he sighed softly.

"You truly feel remorse for what you did. It was an unfortunate incident in which you were merely protecting yourself." He spoke softly, "Sakura, you need to move on."  
Tears blurred her vision. "How?" she whispered.  
"You need to accept what happened."  
She said nothing, and he sighed softly.  
"I can't move on for you. This is something you have to do yourself."  
"I..." she didn't know what to say.  
"I'll always support you, as will Meiling and Tomoyo, of course." Syaoran added.  
Sakura nodded, "ok." She whispered.

"Drink it all-it won't help otherwise." Syaoran nodded at the cup in her hand.

Flustered, Sakura finished drinking the medicine.  
She set the empty cup to the side and was about to say something, but he spoke instead.

"So, a meeting over lunch at your place tomorrow, hm?"  
She stared at him with surprise. "If you're not busy, of course..."  
He nodded. "I'll be there."  
"Prince Kei seems like...a child." Sakura murmured.  
Syaoran burst into laughter. "A spoilt child." He added.  
She felt herself smiling, and she started to giggle.  
"How do you think he'd react if I told him I'm nearly five hundred years old?" she giggled.  
Syaoran just laughed harder, unable to speak, and she started laughing too.

"Well, he wouldn't believe you. He'd think you were trying to make a fool out of him." He said as he started to calm, though he was still smiling.  
"I suppose that's true." She laughed.  
Syaoran sighed gently. "Today I'll teach you about certain remedies that only gods and goddesses can make. Think you can handle it?"  
Sakura nodded, "I'm starting to feel better now. I think I'll be just fine."  
Syaoran stood, "Alright, let's start."

…

In the middle of the afternoon, Syaoran looked up from their work. They'd been in the middle of making a salve that helped ease debilitating muscle pain when he was distracted.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.  
"We seem to have a visitor." Syaoran murmured. "Wait here for a moment."

Sakura watched as he left, still a little confused. She wondered who it could be, and her question was soon answered when Tomoyo walked in behind Syaoran.

"T-Tomoyo!" Sakura exclaimed.  
Tomoyo smiled brightly, "I hope you don't mind my being here. I really wanted to see how you were doing."  
Sakura shook her head, "I don't mind at all..." she looked to Syaoran, wondering if it bothered him. Noticing her expression, he smiled softly.  
"If you're worried about me being upset, love, don't be."  
Tomoyo raised her brow with his use of the pet name, and then she smiled. "What were you two doing before I interrupted?"  
"Syaoran was teaching me how to make a salve to heal bad muscle pain." Sakura replied cheerfully.  
"Ah-you're learning about the remedies?" Tomoyo asked.  
Sakura nodded. "Tomoyo, you don't have any duties to tend to?"  
Tomoyo shook her head. "No, not right now."  
"I see."  
"I'll be out in the garden, feel free to catch up with each other." Syaoran said as he headed over to the door.  
"Ok." Tomoyo replied with a smile.

Sakura looked to Tomoyo who was smiling brightly. Sakura knew that smile. Even if they hadn't seen each other in a very long time, she still knew "the look".  
"What is it?" Sakura asked.  
"Would you let me take your measurements?" Tomoyo's eyes shined.  
"But there's nothing coming up for me to..." she trailed off as Tomoyo pushed her towards the lounge.  
"A festival is coming up and you're helping Syaoran as his apprentice, right? Meiling told me all about it." Tomoyo replied cheerfully.  
"That's true..."  
"Well, you have to dress the part."

Sakura sighed. There was no way she was going to get out of it. A smile formed on her lips with that thought, reminding her of their childhood together.

Tomoyo pulled out a measuring tape and started going through the familiar routine of taking Sakura's measurements.  
"You seem to get along well with Syaoran." Tomoyo said as she worked.  
"I suppose we do." Sakura replied.  
"So... have you told him how you feel yet?" she asked casually.  
Sakura felt her face turn tomato red and she went rigid.  
"What are you implying?"  
"You know what I'm implying." Tomoyo replied as she finished taking her measurements.  
Sakura stayed silent. She hadn't dared to think about her feelings much. She didn't want to acknowledge what might be there, and so she avoided it.

Tomoyo smiled at her friend gently. "He's a god, like you, so he's immortal." She pointed out. "And he knows what you've been through. After all, he's been watching over you for so long."  
"I...just don't know how I feel yet." Sakura murmured.  
Tomoyo simply smiled, "You will soon."

...

Syaoran walked over to the bird bath and rolled his eyes, "Meiling, stop sulking in the bird bath."  
"I'm not sulking." Came a retort from the water.  
Then, Meiling's form materialised and she landed softly on the grass.  
"Seemed like sulking to me. You're still upset about what happened to Sakura." He muttered.  
"Of course I am. If I could, I'd drown that prince." She snapped.  
"Despite everything bad that's happening to her, she seems a lot more cheerful than she was." He murmured.  
Meiling nodded, "that's true, I guess."

Syaoran turned to the water in the birdbath and sought out the prince using the water mirror.  
"I'm not sure what we'll do with him." Meiling said.  
"I'm supposed to be meeting him tomorrow, as Sakura's mentor." Syaoran confessed.  
Meiling raised her brow. "Oh?"  
"Sakura told him she was apprenticed to a medic in the forest. The prince told her he wanted to meet them."  
"I see. That could be interesting to see." Meiling smirked evilly.  
There was no doubt in Syaoran's mind that she was thinking up some kind of evil plan to get back at the prince for what he did to Sakura the other night.  
"I suppose so." He shrugged.

"The festival is coming up." Meiling changed topic.  
"I know. I wonder how Sakura will go with it all." Syaoran said.  
She smiled, "I'm sure she'll be fine."  
Syaoran nodded, "Yeah. She'll do great, I'm sure."

Sakura and Tomoyo walked over to them and Syaoran raised his brow. "You're not going to stay, Tomoyo?" he asked.  
Tomoyo's smiled, "Oh no, you two were in the middle of a lesson. I'll let you get right back to it."  
"I see. Thank you." Syaoran smiled.  
"No, thank you for allowing me to see her."  
"You'll come and see me again sometime, though?" Sakura asked hopefully.  
"Yes, of course. I have to make sure your wedding-uh, festival outfit is fitting you perfectly." She beamed.

Sakura looked confused for a minute, but then sighed. "I'll look forward to seeing you again."  
Tomoyo gave Sakura a hug before she left, and Sakura turned her attention back to Syaoran.  
"Huh? Where's Meiling?" Sakura asked.  
"She had something she wanted to do." Syaoran replied. "Shall we continue with the salve?"  
"Of course." She smiled.

They headed back inside, "So what did you guys talk about?" he asked.  
Sakura felt herself blush, "Oh, n-nothing interesting really."  
He raised his brow, "Alright then. Now...where were we...?"  
Syaoran looked at the mess on the bench and laughed. "Ah right. Mandrake leaves."  
"Mandrake leaves?"

He nodded and walked over to where the Mandrake was kept in a pot and picked a few leaves.

"It looks like a regular plant." Sakura mumbled.  
"Its cry can knock you out for several hours." He stated bluntly. As he walked back over to the bench, he looked to her. "I want you to add these and then use the spell I was telling you about."  
Sakura looked a bit nervous.  
"Don't stress if you don't get it right. You're still learning." He reassured her.  
She smiled. "Alright. I'll do my best."

Sakura added the leaves and then spoke the spell, a strange and foreign tongue to her ears, and concentrated her magic into the mixture.

Syaoran then took the mixture and stored it up on his dark shelf. "It'll take a few days to finish. I'll be able to judge it then." He said.  
Sakura nodded and Syaoran looked out the window. "It's going to be dark soon. Let's leave it there for today."  
"Ok," Sakura smiled, "Um-about tomorrow...what would you like to eat?"  
"I'll take care of the meal for you. You're struggling enough as it is." Syaoran smiled.  
Sakura blushed madly. "You don't have to..."  
"I'd like to. Please."

She met his eyes, finding sincerity in his amber orbs. Tomoyo's words entered her mind and she broke eye contact with him.  
"Alright." She smiled.  
"I'll see you then."  
She nodded, and he let her out, watching her as she disappeared down the path.

...

Sakura fidgeted as she waited for Syaoran and the prince to arrive. She wasn't going to deny that she was very nervous, and she just wanted it to be over.  
A soft knock at her door startled her, and she walked over to find it was Syaoran.

"Honestly, I was expecting you to just...appear like normal." She said as he stepped inside.  
"I thought about it but decided against it." He answered.

She smiled. He walked over to the table and clicked his fingers, and a meal fit for royalty sat on top.

"You didn't...cook it?" she asked.  
"No I did. I was just transferring it here from my home." He replied.  
"Oh."  
"Are you nervous?" he asked.  
She nodded.  
He took her hand and kissed her softly on the temple. "It will be fine."

She blushed and jumped as she heard a knock. "Guess that's him..."

She walked over to the door and opened it, greeted with Prince Kei and his two retainers.  
"Please, come in." She smiled.  
"You two stay out here. I'll be quite alright." Prince Kei instructed, and then stepped inside.  
Sakura lead him over to where Syaoran was standing, looking quite calm.  
"Um...Prince-"  
"Kei is fine." He smiled.  
She swallowed. "Kei, this is my mentor."  
"A pleasure to meet you, uh..."  
"Syaoran."  
Prince Kei smiled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Syaoran."  
"Likewise." Syaoran replied.  
"Shall we sit?" Sakura asked, shifting uncomfortably.

Syaoran noticed Kei eyeing her like a piece of candy, and quickly stepped in front of Sakura, leading her to the table.  
Prince Kei followed, sitting down across from them.

"You've been busy, my dear." He gestured to the food.  
"Oh-no, that was Syaoran. He wanted to help me." Sakura smiled.  
Kei raised his brow.  
"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're worried about." Syaoran said.  
Prince Kei looked a little surprised and then laughed. "Forgive me for not trusting you. But how can I take your word for it?"  
"The people worked hard to grow the necessary resources. I would never taint food that took so much time and hard work to be grown." Syaoran replied coldly.  
Kei stared at him for a moment. "Very well. I believe you."  
"Thank you."

They started eating, and Sakura nibbled on some bread with cheese spread on it.  
"So, you're mentoring her in medicine, correct?" Kei asked.  
"Yes, that's right." Syaoran replied.  
"Anything else?"

Sakura looked to Syaoran, who still looked very calm.

"No."  
"So, what made you decide to take her on as your apprentice?" Kei asked curiously as he ate a piece of fruit.  
Sakura spoke up this time. "Ah-he rescued me a while back from drowning. Syaoran gave me some medicine that really helped me, and I asked him to teach me." She smiled.  
"It's my belief that no one in the village knows you exist. That's a bit strange."  
"Not really. I don't try to make it known. I don't like people very much." Syaoran lied.  
Prince Kei nodded. "She did mention something like that. What made you decide to meet me?"

Syaoran sighed. "Well for starters, the fact that you've put my student in distress by announcing you're engaged to her. Surely you know how the villagers treat her?"  
Prince Kei smiled. "Oh, she told you about that, did she?"  
Syaoran frowned. "Of course, she did. Do you have any idea of the trouble you've caused her? She showed up to a lesson covered in bruises and cuts after being _beaten_ by some villagers."  
Prince Kei nodded sullenly. "Yes. It's for that very reason I wish to take her away from this awful place."  
"Sakura's already told you she doesn't want to leave-or get married. Leave her be and respect her wishes." Syaoran spoke.  
Prince Kei smiled. "I can't leave the lady I wish to marry in such a place. To me that's crueller than letting her stay."

Syaoran remained calm, though Sakura recognised he wasn't pleased.

"Your highness, I don't want to get married, ever." Sakura said. "So, I won't."  
"Everyone believes we're engaged, now, and I'm quite happy to wait for when you do make your decision to leave." Prince Kei smiled.

Syaoran didn't miss the evil glint in his eyes, or the devious look on his face. He was planning something.

"I think you'll find you'll be dead by then." Syaoran murmured.

Sakura nudged him beneath the table, but he didn't seem bothered. Meanwhile the prince looked angry.

"Is that a threat?" he growled.  
"No. I was merely stating that you would be waiting a very long time." Syaoran replied.  
"You seem so very sure of that."  
Syaoran raised his brow. "That's because I understand Sakura and her feelings."  
Prince Kei snorted. "Really now?"  
"Yes."

The prince sighed heavily. "Thank you for the meal. I should really be leaving now."  
Sakura stood, "Thank you for coming." She said as she moved to open her door for him.  
He nodded to her and then stepped outside, and she closed her door.

Once they were gone, she let out a heavy sigh.

"You scared me!" she said, "Why did you pick a fight with him?"  
"He has ulterior motives. He'll probably try to remove me from the picture." Syaoran said. "Sakura, are you sure you don't want to leave?"  
"Why do you ask?" she smiled.  
"I'm just checking. Don't think you have to stay if you don't want to." He murmured.  
She shook her head. "I want to stay. I know the people hate me, but even so..."  
He nodded. "As long as you're sure."  
She smiled, "Thank you, Syaoran."  
He returned her smile. "Just remember: don't hesitate to call for me should you need anything. Anything at all."  
She nodded as she blushed.

"I should be leaving as well. Look after yourself."  
"I will. See you tomorrow." Sakura replied. He nodded and then disappeared. Sakura sighed softly. She felt uneasy.

But why?

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! It's so awesome being able to see what you think so far. I have not been hospitalised, but I am still struggling a bit unfortunately. On the bright side, I'm going to my sisters' on the weekend. I hope you're all doing okay!**

 **Honestly, I'm tempted to go back and read one of my old fanfics i did for Tsubasa (lmao)**


	9. Chapter 9

Summer was beginning to get hotter, much to Sakura's disliking. As she hiked up the mountain, she couldn't help but bitterly mumble to herself, wondering why Syaoran would send her up the mountain in such humid and hot weather.

"Just my luck..." she muttered, "He _had_ to send me to get this thing..."

Unfortunately for Sakura, she had to hike up the large mountain at the edge if the forest to look for a specific type of flower that only bloomed in certain conditions. Syaoran had told her it was needed before the summer festival, but he had yet to tell her why.

"What's he doing? Testing me?" she mumbled.

She heard a small giggle and looked around, wondering who it could possibly be.  
She spotted a small fae creature with shimmering wings and cunning eyes. Sakura had read about these creatures and spoken with Syaoran about them. They gave their assistance to the gods, but often wreaked havoc for mortals. Nothing too dramatic, but often pranks and small annoyances.

"You must be that lonely gods' new apprentice." Their voice sounded like bells.  
"Lonely god? Do you mean Syaoran?" she asked.  
"I suppose he's testing you. I can help guide you." The fae offered.  
Sakura wondered if that was allowed. She thought it over, and then nodded. "If you wouldn't mind."  
A devious smile spread across its lips. "Come right this way."

Sakura followed the faerie further up the mountain. She had to climb some large rocks, which she found rather exhausting in the heat, and she had to rest afterwards.  
"How much farther?" she asked, breathing heavily.  
"Not far now." They replied.  
Sakura sighed heavily and pulled out her water to drink. She looked up at the sky and guessed it was roughly mid afternoon.

When she felt her energy returning, Sakura stood. "Alright, I'm ready,"  
The fae continued, leading her down a winding path. They emerged at a large clear lake that sparkled in the sunlight, taking Sakura's breath away,  
"This way."

Sakura tore her eyes away from the beautiful site and followed the fae over to a small patch of grass.  
There in the centre bloomed two sapphire coloured flowers, however one's centre was dark red, and the other was white.  
"Syaoran didn't say anything about this..." she groaned as she knelt.  
"I'd recommend the white one-it's the one you need." The creature grinned.

Sakura wasn't too sure about that. She had a feeling the fae wanted her to pick it for some strange reason, but not because it was the flower she needed. She frowned, deep in thought, wondering which one she needed.

"You know I'm right. It's this one you want."

Sakura bit her lip as she tried to tune out the creature's voice and recall any information or clues she might have been given. Perhaps Syaoran hadn't told her in such a way that made it obvious...or perhaps she was already supposed to know about the flower...  
She tried to think, hoping she would remember something.  
She sighed heavily. She couldn't recall anything, but her instinct told her...

"This one." She picked the one with the dark red centre.  
The fae looked visibly amused. "You'll be fine." It spoke.  
Sakura looked up in surprise.  
"The lonely god is teaching you well. Call on us if you need anything."

Before Sakura could reply, the faerie disappeared. She shook her head and reached for her pouch, gently placing the flower inside.  
She stood and stretched. With her task done, it was time to go back to Syaoran.

...

Syaoran could see the sky darkening. He worried about Sakura's safety, worried she might run into one of the creatures of the night.  
Meiling pinched his cheek and he made an annoyed noise.

"Be patient." She snapped, pulling her hand away.  
"Yeah, yeah."  
"Oh-what's that light?" Meiling murmured.

Syaoran glanced over and spotted a lantern, and he noticed that there were various herbs burning inside the lantern Sakura had made.

He smiled softly as she approached. "Good thinking in keeping yourself safe."  
She blushed, "Well you taught me this a while ago so I could get home safely."  
"That's true." He nodded, "Did you get it?"  
Sakura reached into her pouch and removed the flower, handing it over to him.  
"Here,"

He looked the flower over and nodded.  
"Very well done." He said, "how about a bath? You must be feeling dreadful."  
She felt her body relax completely. "That sounds perfect."  
"I set one up for you-come with me." Meiling smiled, pulling Sakura alongside her.

Syaoran looked down at the flower. "Aeros."  
A familiar faerie appeared with a mischievous grin.  
"How did she go?" he asked.  
"She did as you hoped."  
Syaoran smiled, "That's good to hear."  
"So, I assume she passes this test of yours?"  
Syaoran nodded. "Yes."

Then, after dismissing the faerie, he headed inside to put the flower into safe keeping.

He glanced outside, worried about what was to come. He had asked for a meeting with the other gods to discuss something about the prince-he just needed their agreement on the issue.

He had to protect Sakura from him at any cost.

...

Sakura finished her bath and moved to dry herself and get dressed. It was well and truly dark now, so she needed to be careful on her way home.  
"Sakura, are you done? Dinner's ready." Syaoran called for her.  
She jumped, slightly startled, and hastened to finish getting dressed.

Lately, since her lessons had been going later into the evening, so she could learn more about the creatures, she had been having dinner with Syaoran. She enjoyed the extra time she was spending with Syaoran, and she even found herself laughing and smiling again.

"Coming!" she called out, and then rushed to meet him in the kitchen.  
He looked up as she entered and raised a brow. "Are you ok?"  
he felt her cheeks heat up. "I'm fine!"  
"Are you sure?" he asked with added concern. "Your face is very red."  
Sakura felt her heart flutter.  
She smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. Please don't worry too much."  
Satisfied with her answer, he smiled. "Alright."

They sat down at the table and started eating their meal of creamy chicken soup.

"Meiling's ritual is tonight. Do you want to go?" Syaoran asked casually.  
"Yes-I've really been wanting to see a ritual being done with my own eyes. I've learned about them in books but seeing and understanding it is better." Sakura chattered excitedly.  
Syaoran laughed softly. "I'm glad you're excited."

She blushed and nibbled on a vegetable. She was slowly starting to realise what this warm feeling was. It was...

"Ah-how has the prince been treating you lately?" Syaoran interrupted her thoughts.  
Sakura shrugged. "I guess the same as he always has..."  
"He still hasn't given up on you being his bride, then?"  
She shook her head. "He's still giving me flowers and ridiculously expensive gifts."

For example, just the other evening he had shown up on her doorstep with a diamond encrusted necklace. It was heavy and very ugly, despite the sparkling gems. Sakura made a mental note to sell it and give the money to the local orphanage under an anonymous donation.

He sighed. "I see... I'll fill you in on the details shortly, but I'm having a meeting with the other gods about this."  
She looked down, "I'm sorry to trouble you with this. If I could figure out a way to get him to leave, I would act on it myself."  
Syaoran simply smiled. "I'm more than happy to help you, love."

Ah, that word again.

Every time he used it, just for her, she would get butterflies in her stomach. It was only recently that she had come to realise her feelings.

But she didn't know how he felt about her.

"Is something on your mind?" Syaoran asked, snapping her from her thoughts.  
"Oh-well, n-not really." She mumbled. "You really can't read my thoughts?"  
He gave her a pointed look, "How many times do I have to tell you? I can read your feelings, not your thoughts."  
She cleared her throat and quickly finished her meal, eager to change topic.

He sighed softly, knowing Sakura wasn't going to tell him what was really on her mind, and he too finished eating.

Once they had cleaned up, the pair walked down to the lake where there was already a growing number of creatures and even other gods. Among them, Sakura spotted Tomoyo and Eriol.  
"Tomoyo?" Sakura raised her brow.  
Tomoyo looked over upon hearing her name and smiled brightly as she walked over.  
"Sakura-it's so good to see you." She greeted.  
Sakura smiled. "I didn't think you'd be here."  
"Meiling's performances are always stunning to see. Even the creatures come to see her." Tomoyo smiled.  
"Many gods and other creatures often come to see her perform. It's almost like an event now." Syaoran explained to Sakura.  
"Oh wow." Sakura said, "I didn't know."  
"It's about to start." Eriol told them.

Sakura looked over to the lake and saw Meiling making her way to the centre of the lake, walking across the surface of the water.  
In her hand she held her golden trident.  
Everyone fell silent, holding their breath as they waited.  
Meiling took her stance, and the water beneath her began to glow.  
Then, she started a series of complicated steps that Sakura likened to a dance, and the water moved with her, forming water serpents that danced around her form.

Sakura was in awe. It was just like the first time she had stumbled across Meiling performing a similar ritual quite some time ago.

Something warm brushed against her hand and she looked down to see Syaoran's hand. Without much thinking, she intertwined her fingers with his; he glanced over at Sakura who was watching Meiling, and gently, he squeezed her hand.

Meiling's dance finished and Tomoyo walked over to Sakura once again. "Wasn't that simply wonderful?" she asked.  
"Yes, it was beautiful. I can see why so many come to watch." Sakura replied cheerfully.  
Syaoran smiled.  
Tomoyo noticed their hands and raised her brow, "Oh my."

Sakura, confused, looked down and blushed madly. She didn't realise she'd held his hand.  
Syaoran released her hand and she apologised with a red face.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled, though he was a little disappointed at the loss of her touch.  
"Syaoran, I'd like to walk Sakura home, if I may?" Tomoyo smiled.  
Syaoran nodded, "That's fine. I need to speak with Eriol anyway."  
Sakura smiled, "See you tomorrow?" she asked.  
He nodded.  
"Let's get going." Tomoyo smiled brightly, tugging her best friend along with her.

As they walked, Tomoyo smiled knowingly. "You love him, don't you?" she said.  
Sakura felt her face heat up again and she nodded. "I do."  
"Have you told him?" she asked.  
Sakura shook her head, "I don't know how."  
Tomoyo smiled, "You'll know when the time is right."  
"Thank you Tomoyo." Sakura replied.  
"Would you mind if I borrowed you for a bit this evening? I need to make sure your outfit fits." Tomoyo added.  
"Uh...sure." Sakura laughed.

After Tomoyo had checked to make sure everything was fitting correctly, Sakura proceeded to read and study the next two chapters of the texts Syaoran had given her. They spoke of the different types of creatures that could be both helpful and annoyances, if not dealt with correctly.

She knew a lot about different fae and magical creatures already, thanks to Syaoran, but she still didn't know enough. Already she found herself missing Syaoran's presence, despite only being parted from him a few hours.  
She sighed heavily.

A soft knock at the door made her frown as she walked over to answer it, coming face to face with the prince.  
She smiled kindly. "How can I help you?"  
"I was hoping you'd like to come and see the stars with me." He smiled sweetly.  
Sakura looked down at her cotton nightdress. "Um...well, I was actually about to head to bed."  
He nodded understanding. "That's understandable. It is late, after all."  
She smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry."  
He shook his head. "No need to apologise, love."

Sakura felt herself tense at his words. Only one person could call her that, and he was not that person.

"Um...if you'd excuse me then..."  
"Sweet dreams."  
Sakura closed her door, and an angry prince stormed off.

She sighed heavily. When would the prince leave?

…

In the morning, Sakura dressed herself in one of her summer dresses and pulled on her usual brown pumps. She picked up the last apple in her basket of fruit and sighed-she needed to go out and collect more fruit. With that thought, she looked at how much flour she had left, along with sugar and eggs.  
She was running low on those, too.

With a soft sigh, she grabbed her bag and pulled it on over her shoulders and grabbed her basket and the tapestry's she'd made throughout the month to head out.

It was already warm outside, despite the sun having risen only an hour ago. Sakura hoped Syaoran wouldn't send her up the mountain again, or on another little trip in this blistering summer heat.  
People were already running around hoping to get their errands finished before the sun rose any higher, so when she reached the market place, it was no surprise that it was so busy.

Sakura pushed her way through the crowds. Thankfully, everyone was so preoccupied with getting what they needed that they didn't care she was around. Well-almost everyone. There were still some people who purposefully tripped her and caused her unnecessary grief.

She reached the merchant she was looking for and purchased flour and sugar from the elderly woman. She was lucky that the woman didn't seem to despise her-she had always been kind to Sakura, despite knowing she didn't age.  
Sakura remembered her first meeting with her from nearly forty years ago.

"You have a healthy glow." The woman smiled. "You've never appeared this radiant until just a few months ago."  
Sakura blushed, "O-oh, really?"  
"Of course. Did you meet someone from outside the village?" the woman inquired mischievously.  
"U-uh…well, something like that." Sakura stammered.  
"You'll have to introduce me." She winked, causing Sakura's face to turn an even darker shade of red.  
"Here are your eggs." The woman added, handing Sakura a large box.  
"Thank you so much again-I don't know how I would get around if it weren't for your help." Sakura smiled gratefully.  
"Think nothing of it-you've never done anything to hurt me in any way, and you give me such good business. Your tapestry's and garments that you sew sell like wildfire in the nearby villages and towns."  
Sakura blushed, "I'm glad. It's the least I could do in repayment for these."

She then lifted up her months work to hand to the merchant, and the woman smiled.  
"Beautiful as always."  
"Thank you, ma'am." She replied, "I'll give you more next month."  
"Stay safe, dear."  
Sakura smiled brightly, "I will!"

Sakura then headed back home to leave the heavy load in her home, and then left to head for the forest to find fruit and herbs as well as some vegetables.  
She hummed a soft tune to herself as she walked along the familiar route. She picked various berries and found apples on her way, and she spotted a cherry tree not to far away from her.

She headed towards it and set her bag down on the grass before climbing the tree, seating herself on a branch before she started picking the fruit.

"Sakura? What are you doing up there?"

Startled, Sakura slipped and fell from the branch, but was caught before she could hit the ground.  
Her emerald eyes met his familiar amber-Syaoran looked at her with a raised brow, and she sighed with relief.

"You scared me!"  
"Sorry-I didn't mean to." Syaoran apologised as he set her back on her feet.

She walked over to where her basket was lying and started gathering the cherries that had scattered everywhere. Syaoran started to help her, waiting for her answer to his question.

"I have to get food together, so I can eat. I'm just gathering the usual fruit I would normally find." She answered.  
"I know that. But being that high up in a tree is dangerous." He replied.  
"But I like cherries." Sakura mumbled.  
"At least let me help you."  
Sakura felt herself smile. "Alright."

They continued along Sakura's usual path that she followed, collecting various herbs and fruits. Once her basket was full, they headed back to her home.  
As they walked through the village, they were both silent. Syaoran wanted to say something, but he didn't know what.  
But when he opened his mouth to speak, a voice sounded from behind them.

"Sakura-there you are." Prince Kei spoke. "Oh, you're with your mentor."  
Sakura tensed and turned to face the prince. She smiled, "How can I help you, your grace?"  
"I told you-just Kei is fine." The prince reminded her.  
Sakura watched as he eyed Syaoran with dislike.  
"Is it possible for us to be alone together?"  
Syaoran frowned. "No-she's in the middle of a lesson. Whatever you must say to her, you can say with me here."  
The prince cleared his throat. "You're quite full of yourself, talking that way to royalty."

Syaoran wanted to retort and tell him that _he_ was full of himself for speaking that way to a god. But, for Sakura's sake, he clamped his mouth shut.  
"I'll wait over there." He replied stiffly, and walked the rest of the way to Sakura's front door before turning to keep an eye on Sakura.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "What is it you wanted, if you don't mind me asking?"  
The prince smiled, eyeing her figure. "You're free tonight, right?"  
"Er…" she looked to Syaoran who was waiting patiently. She really wanted to lie and say she wasn't, but it was one of the days Syaoran let her leave early, so she could work on her tapestries, since he knew that was the only way she could do trade. And the prince knew that.  
So, she nodded lamely.  
"I'd like to take you out for the evening, then." He said. "Be ready before sundown."

Before Sakura could say anything, the prince turned and left. Sakura swallowed hard and headed to Syaoran's side.  
"I'll have some of the animals from the forest watch over you." He said, "They'll know what to do, should he try anything tonight."

Sakura just nodded, her mind spinning.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Thank you for all of your reviews, follows, and favourites. They really bought a smile to my face. I had a really nice time with my sister on the weekend-we played pokemon go all day yesterday, catching a tonne of eevee. I caught three shiny eevee. Hope you all had a great weekend too!**

 **The mandrakes are of course featured in Harry Potter, which I'm sure all of you are familiar with those ghastly things (i love how in anime, mandrakes look so damn cute and then there's harry potter hahaha). I read up on them-there is quite a bit of folklore about them and it was really interesting to read. I've seen them pop up in multiple fantasy series, not just anime either.**

 **And yes, I'm sure a lot of you are wishing the mandrake's scream upon the damn prince LOL. I have no idea what you'll think of the curse Syaoran puts on him later. Let's just say it is very inconvenient for the prince, and humiliating. What did you all think of this chapter?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! Thank you for your reviews, follows, favourites. I'm glad people are enjoying this story! I hope you like this chapter. There's five more to go, but I might do some more editing and expand on some things if I can think of more things. I've been struggling lately.**

* * *

Sakura was not looking forward to her night. She had no idea what was in store for her, and she hoped dearly that the prince wouldn't try anything weird.

Syaoran watched her with a soft but concerned gaze. He could sense her churning emotions about her meeting with the prince that evening. He made a mental note to start a storm halfway through the meeting to give her a reason to head home early.  
But first...

Syaoran placed his hand over hers in a comforting gesture.  
"You'll be fine. I'll have eyes and ears around you." He said softly, "I'm not letting him do anything even remotely similar to what happened last time."  
Sakura relaxed. She trusted his words, that he would keep her safe, and she started to feel calmer knowing this.  
She smiled. "I think I over reacted a little. Thank you for helping me calm down. I trust you."  
Syaoran returned her smile. "I'm glad."

She looked at the salve on the shelf behind him. It was the one she had made a little while ago.  
"By the way... is that salve I made with you useful?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes-it's very well made, Sakura. I've been using it on creatures for a few weeks now." He smiled, "You really do excel at healing. I'm going to start testing you on a few specific things-I have an idea as to what kind of goddess you are, but I want to be sure."

Sakura looked at him curiously. "I have a type?"

"I suspect you might. Not every god or goddess does, but it's not uncommon for there to be a god who watches over and protects a specific thing." He explained. "For Meiling, it's water. There's gods of the seas, gods of the skies, thunder, rain, earth, flowers...you name it."

Sakura felt strangely awed and excited. "What do you think I am?"  
Syaoran watched her for a moment. "I don't want to tell you until I'm certain. Think you can wait?"  
Sakura smiled, "Sure. I'm excited to find out."  
Syaoran chuckled.

Sakura looked out the window and heaved a heavy sigh. "I should leave..."  
"Remember-I'll be keeping watch over you." He murmured.  
Sakura smiled and nodded.

He watched her leave and looked up at the sky. All he needed was his will to start bringing in dark, stormy clouds. Satisfied for the moment, he turned and started his usual afternoon walk through the forest.

"Gee, that looks like one hell of a storm you're bringing in." Meiling's voice sounded nearby.

He looked over to see she was standing by a large oak.  
"What can I say? I'm pissed off." He replied flatly.  
Meiling giggled. "At the prince again?"  
"Who else?" he rolled his eyes.  
She shrugged. "He's planning something, you know."  
"I'm aware. What it is, I have yet to figure out." Syaoran murmured.  
"It would be so much easier to just kill him." Meiling sighed.  
Syaoran nodded agreement. "Sadly, while he's in Alyrias, there's nothing I can do."  
"Oh, come ON, Syaoran. He's not a citizen of Alyrias, so the rules-"  
"You know very well that the rules apply to anyone who sets foot in Alyrias until they leave. I promise that when he does leave, I'll curse him for the rest of his pathetic life." Syaoran cut across her.  
Meiling raised her brow. "A curse, huh? What will you curse him with?"  
He shrugged. "Whatever seems most appropriate at the time."  
She laughed, "That will be hilarious to see. I look forward to it."  
Syaoran just rolled his eyes and continued through the forest.

...

Prince Kei pulled Sakura along behind him. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and dark clouds were rolling in.  
"Here we are." He smiled.

Sakura's eyes widened upon seeing the familiar place-it was a meadow with hundreds of purple and white flowers covering the area, and it had an incredible view of the sunset.

"I asked some of the village girls where they liked to go on dates. This was one of the places." He said. "Come sit with me."

Feeling tense, she followed him and sat beside him in the field of flowers, but not without leaving a bit of space between them.  
Sakura loved this meadow. It held precious memories for her, and she didn't want the prince to ruin that.

"You've been so busy as of late. I was worried that you were rejecting me." Prince Kei spoke.  
Sakura could feel his eyes watching her.  
"Your highness, I've already told you many, many times that I have no intention of ever marrying or leaving this place." She spoke firmly.  
She hoped he would get the hint-that she WAS rejecting him.  
"Because of sentimental value, correct?" he asked, "I don't care if you killed those men either. They deserved it, after all."  
Sakura stiffened. "That's not the only reason I'm here. I love this place, and the god of Alyrias is very special to me."  
He snorted. "Gods don't exist. If they did, then why would he make you suffer so much? The village wants you dead-they treat you like scum." Prince Kei smiled bitterly, "He clearly wants you to suffer, then."  
"You're wrong!" Sakura snapped. "He's kind and compassionate! He has his reasons, and even when I'm alone, I know he's with me! Don't you dare speak ill of the god who's watched over Alyrias!"

The prince looked surprised at her sudden outburst, and then he looked angry.  
Thunder rumbled overhead, and lightning flashed, striking a nearby tree.  
It was enough to distract the prince from his anger as rain suddenly started hammering down.  
He stood and ran off to find cover, leaving her in the middle of the meadow in the pouring rain.

She felt so infuriated by that prince, by what he had said about Syaoran. How dare he! He didn't know one thing about what it meant to be a god! There was so much more to it.  
She froze as she realised that she had once felt a similar way. She had hated how she had been alone, and when Syaoran had told her who he was-and what she was-she had been angry.  
Syaoran had known she was angry. He knew how much she had suffered, to the point where he always felt guilty. Sakura felt so horrible for thinking that way.

' _Oh god, Syaoran, I'm so sorry..._ '

She knew how protective Syaoran was of her. She knew he was trying to make up for what he had watched her go through. She wondered, though, how much his inability to help her had torn him apart.

"You should get out of this rain, love."

Startled, Sakura looked up and realised Syaoran was standing holding an umbrella over the two of them.  
"Oh... right..." she stood and there was another loud crack of thunder.  
"Is this storm your doing?" she asked quietly.  
"Yes, it is." He replied.  
"You can't make it stop?" she asked curiously.  
"I could if I so desired, but the land needs the water, and we were probably due for a large storm anyway." He shrugged.  
"I see..."  
Syaoran smiled, "That was quite the outburst earlier."  
Sakura blushed madly. "You heard that?"  
"Of course, I did."  
"Oh..."  
"Come-I'll draw you a bath." He murmured, and turned to head back.  
Sakura followed him out of the rain and to his home in silence.

She stood in the doorway dripping from head to toe. She wasn't cold-in fact it was still rather warm outside due to the summer heat-but she still felt gross.

Syaoran walked out from the bathroom, "It's ready for you. Have you eaten dinner?"  
"No-I didn't have time." She answered.  
"I'll make something for when you get out." He murmured.  
"What should I do with my clothes?" Sakura asked. "They're soaked through."  
"Leave them on the chair outside the door. I have some dry clothes for you-Tomoyo left them with me just in case something happened." He answered.  
Sakura nodded and sighed softly before heading into the bathroom.

The bath was waiting for her, full of hot water and the scent of cherry blossoms hung in the air. Not thinking much of it, Sakura undressed and left her wet clothes on the chair outside the door before stepping into the tub and relaxing in the water.  
She sighed blissfully and closed her eyes.

...

Syaoran set Sakura's clothes on the rack in front of the fire to dry before he started cooking something for Sakura. It was almost like routine now, making dinner for the two of them, and on the days he didn't it felt weird.  
He sighed softly.  
Sakura still hadn't asked him why he couldn't tell her about who she was. Maybe she didn't care, or maybe she didn't want to know.  
But the truth was that her mother, Nadeshiko, had wanted to spare Sakura from that life. They had indulged her, but Syaoran felt that not telling Sakura had only caused her more harm than good.

He remembered the first time he'd seen Sakura. He had seen her in that very meadow with her mother-she had been seventeen at the time, and he had just made the contract with the village. She'd been wearing a white summer dress and a sun hat, her pale hair blowing softly in the wind. When she smiled at her mother, she had looked as radiant as the spring sunshine. Her smile was beautiful, and he remembered thinking that he never wanted to see that smile fade.  
However, after the incident with the man she had fallen in love with, her radiant smile had disappeared. He had watched her suffer alone, but lately that smile had been returning.

But he was afraid. He was afraid that the prince would take that smile away again...  
He wouldn't allow it.  
Never again.

Syaoran looked into the fire. He searched the flames for the prince, seeing that he was just entering his room at the inn. Syaoran could see that the prince was infuriated that Sakura had talked back to him-that she had dared to put him in his place.

A sense of pride swelled in Syaoran's chest. She had stood up for who and what she believed in, and it made him happy that she had gained that confidence back. He remembered before the incident with her ex, how fiery she could be when she was protecting what was right. After the incident, however, she rarely stood up for herself.

 _'She's getting stronger._ ' He thought to himself, a smile spreading across his lips.

He was proud of her. She was becoming skilled with her medicines, and soon he would start her on blessings.  
He had a feeling that day would be just around the corner.

The sound of footsteps broke him away from his thoughts and he looked up to meet Sakura's soft emerald green gaze.  
The dress Tomoyo had left with him was a pure white knee length wrap dress that hugged all of her curves in the right places, and fell neatly from her hips down. She blushed.

"Does it look okay?"  
"It looks great on you." He smiled. "Here, eat this."

She walked over and took the bowl of stew from him and sat down.  
"Sakura, don't you ever get lonely or worried while living alone?" he asked as he sat down with her.  
She smiled. "Before I met you, I used to get lonely all the time." She confessed. "I was always scared of what the villagers would do to me."  
"But now?"  
She smiled softly. "It's not as lonely because I'm with you, and I know you're always nearby."  
He smiled gently. "That's good to hear."

Sakura ate in comfort. She enjoyed Syaoran's cooking, which was a lot better than hers, and she also enjoyed the little sweets he would sometimes make for her to nibble on during her lessons.  
But suddenly she stopped eating. Something felt strange.  
"Sakura?" Syaoran frowned, but then he noticed it too.

Images flooded Sakura's mind. An area of the forest; a young woman giving birth, and her husband at her side; mud and rain.

"They're not from Alyrias." Syaoran murmured. "What on earth are they doing so far away from their home?"  
Sakura stood. "I need to be there!" she cried.  
Syaoran watched her with an unreadable expression.  
"Then, go." He said softly.

Sakura bolted out of the house, her instincts taking her to where she needed to go. Sakura didn't know what she was doing or why, but something in her screamed out to watch over and protect this new family.  
She ran as fast as her slender legs would allow her. Mud kicked up and covered her feet and legs. She was sure it didn't look very attractive, but that was the least of her worries.

She slowed as she reached the couple. She suddenly wondered if they could see her. Then, she started to panic. What should she do? Why wasn't Syaoran with her?  
She heard the woman cry out in anguish.  
She couldn't panic now.

She took in a deep breath and released it as she slowly approached them. She stood beside the woman and knelt next to her. Neither the woman or her husband even noticed her presence.

Sakura looked up at the rain. It wasn't going to stop anytime soon, and Syaoran had said that the land needed the rain. Besides that, Sakura didn't even know how to stop the heavy rain.

She sighed softly and concentrated on the couple in front of her. The least she could do was make sure the area around them was safe and they wouldn't be harmed. She looked around, searching for any disturbances, and was relieved when she saw nothing.

The rain continued to hammer down.

Sakura kept herself alert as she watched over them, always careful to divert the attention of other creatures that ventured too close. She had no idea how many hours passed as she watched over them, but her wait was rewarded when a single cry sounded.  
But...  
Something was wrong.

The newborns cries didn't last. Sakura felt tears sting her eyes as the couple panicked.  
She could tell it had been hard for them, that the pregnancy had been so hard for the woman to endure with all her medical complications. Sakura didn't stop to wonder how she knew all of that as she crouched over the still child in the father's arms.

The newborns pulse was weak but was still alive, but it was only a matter of moments before they would pass. Tears flowed down Sakura's cheeks and dripped onto the baby's cheek. It wasn't fair for this couple who had endured so much to lose their only child when they had tried so hard.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. Gentle light started to light the sky as the sun began to rise, and then...

The child started to cry again.

Sakura sobbed with relief as she watched the new parents with their baby.  
"Sakura."  
She looked up to see Syaoran watching her with gentle eyes and a hint of pride.  
"Syaoran..."  
"You did really well. But now you need to recover your strength." He murmured softly.

Sakura felt a sudden wave of fatigue, and she stood. He was right. She needed to rest. But she fell, everything darkening.

...

Syaoran carried Sakura back to his home and placed her in his bed, removing her soaked dress to set in front of the fire to dry. He knew Sakura would wake with questions, and he had a few things he needed to explain to her, but he was sure things would go fine. He looked out the window-it was still pouring heavily with rain, but he expected it to stop sometime in the afternoon.

While she rested, Syaoran continued with his own duties, checking on her often. When he had some free time, he prepared something to eat for when she woke, and quietly sat in his favourite chair reading while he waited.

It was near sundown when he heard her shift. He looked over to see she was holding the sheet to her chest in a bit of a daze, and he stared, his mind wandering to places he knew he shouldn't think about.  
He closed his book after a moment to distract himself.  
"How are you feeling?" he asked.  
It took Sakura a moment to register his question.  
"I'm okay, I think..." she murmured.

He stood and picked up her dry clothes from the day earlier and carried them over to her. A soft blush dusted her cheeks as they locked eyes; he wondered what she was thinking, how she felt. He searched her emotions, sensing feelings of confusion and embarrassment. Everything else was all a mix.  
"Get dressed. I've made you something to eat-we can talk after." He said softly.  
Sakura nodded, and he turned to go and organise her meal.

He stood at the bench and closed his eyes. He had controlled himself around her for centuries without any difficulty, but ever since they had started their mentor-apprentice relationship, he had been finding it harder to do.  
He wondered how Sakura felt.  
He shook his head and filled a bowl with stew before turning and walking back over to where Sakura had seated herself in the chair across from his.

She smiled at him as she took the bowl, and he sat down.

"The couple and their newborn daughter are safe. They're currently in the village inn, recovering before they move on." Syaoran explained softly.  
She looked at him with relief. "Oh, thank goodness...and the child is okay? There's no problems, right?"  
He smiled. "That child and her mother will be quite safe."  
Sakura looked at him curiously.  
Syaoran relaxed in his chair. "Do you know what occurred last night, Sakura?"  
She blinked, "Umm...a woman gave birth in the middle of the forest."  
Syaoran laughed. "That's not what I'm referring to, love."  
Sakura just looked at him confused.  
"You saw visions of them, right? Something called you out?"  
Sakura nodded.  
"That means you're starting to come into your own. That was the first time you were called to duty." Syaoran spoke softly. "It also confirms my suspicions."  
Sakura's brow furrowed. "Called to duty? Your suspicions?"

Syaoran briefly wondered how he should explain it to Sakura. He sighed softly-it was best just to be direct, rather than dancing around it.

"Those visions you saw and the feeling of needing to be there are what we refer to as a call. Your instincts allowed you to find them and protect them, but in order to do your job properly, you're going to need a lot more than instinct."

Sakura nodded in understanding as she recalled the events of the previous night, how she had protected the new family from threats.

Syaoran continued. "You gave that mother and her child a blessing, Sakura."  
"A blessing?" she asked.  
"That child would most certainly have died if you hadn't. However, you learned of who those people were and what they had been through, and you wanted them to be happy. Your tears saved that child's life."

He waited as Sakura absorbed his information. Now came the important part.

"However, for every life you give, another is taken."

Sakura looked at him, startled by his sudden words. A life was taken? Why?  
He watched her as many emotions played across her face.  
And so, he elaborated. "Nothing comes out of thin air, Sakura. To cook, you need ingredients. To make a tapestry, you need thread. To give life, life must be taken."  
"A-any random life...?" Sakura whispered.  
"No, it's more complex than that. It's part of the cycle of life-and we protect that balance."

Sakura sighed with relief. She was worried she had condemned an innocent person to death.

"It was an elderly woman who passed away to welcome that new life, in case you were concerned." Syaoran spoke softly.  
Sakura sighed. "I see..."

"These are the factors you need to consider when giving a blessing, as well as looking at how they have lived their lives. Sakura, you are a very kind and loving goddess-you saw how much those two had suffered just to have their daughter, and it hurt you to the point that you shed tears for them." He spoke softly.

"Does that mean I'm weak...?" her voice trembled.  
"Of course not. Your unconditional love and kindness are what makes you who you are." Syaoran spoke softly.

Sakura started to calm at his words. She would do anything to protect new mothers and their children.

"You're a fertility goddess. You watch over women during their pregnancy and during childbirth, keeping them safe. Their children are like your own children, and you would do anything to protect them from harm during their most vulnerable period." Syaoran explained softly.

Sakura blinked. A fertility goddess?

"Sakura?" Syaoran called her name when she didn't answer.  
"S-sorry, I'm just surprised. It's a lot to absorb..."  
Syaoran nodded, "Yes, you're right."  
"So.. what happens from here?" Sakura asked.  
"With the Festival just around the corner, I'll be teaching you more about blessings and rites." Syaoran explained. "I'm also going to start teaching you more advanced forms of magic and healing."  
Sakura nodded, "Okay, I think I can handle it." She smiled.

Syaoran returned her smile, and then glanced out the window. It was dark.

"Perhaps you should head home. Though, that prince might pester you soon." He murmured.  
"You think he'll still talk to me after I yelled at him?" she asked incredulously.  
He nodded. "He will. I'd like to accidentally set him on fire, but sadly I can't."  
Sakura stared at him with wide eyes. "Syaoran!"  
"What?"  
"That's not very nice." She chided.  
"The prince is not a nice person. Besides, consider yourself lucky that you haven't seen who and what he truly is. Setting him on fire would be considered a kindness to most."  
Sakura just sighed.

"Well...thank you for taking care of me as always." She smiled. "I'll head home."  
He smiled softly, "Stay safe, love."  
She blushed prettily and smiled before she headed to the door, and he watched her softly as she left.

He stood alone in his house and sighed. He had a few things to tend to around the village, so he too left the house and walked his usual path through the forest.

"So, Sakura was called to duty for the first time last night, huh?" Meiling's voice came from beside him.  
He glanced over to see she was walking beside him. "Yes, she was. She did a very good job, too."  
"I heard. The entire forest is gossiping about her."  
"I guess I wasn't paying attention." Syaoran said.  
Meiling sighed, "Just tell her how much you love her already. It's even driving the forest folk crazy."  
He shot her a look. "I doubt she feels the same way. Besides, there's no need to trouble her with that when she's got enough on her plate."  
Meiling groaned irritably. "Seriously!? She clearly feels the same way, so just tell her!"  
"Meiling, go home." He muttered.

Meiling left, but not before dousing him with water out of spite.  
He simply rolled his eyes and continued forwards, not daring to think any more of the subject.

* * *

 **I'm sure you all want to set prince charming on fire too. Well, what did you think? I had quite a lot of fun writing this chapter, actually. Who will confess first-sakura or syaoran? Hmmmmm...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews. This is the summer festival chapter, so I hope you enjoy it (please don't murder me at the end lmao). Syaoran's been pretty open about his feelings for Sakura, but how does Sakura feel? Find out!**

* * *

Sakura flopped down on her bed and inhaled deeply. Syaoran had told her so much earlier that evening, but the new information was not what was bothering her.  
In fact, she understood what he had told her, and even felt a little bit excited.

But...she had woken in Syaoran's home-in his bed-again. She didn't mind-in fact she didn't even find herself bothered by the fact that he had undressed her AGAIN. But he didn't seem interested...  
That was what bothered her. And she felt slightly ashamed of herself for feeling that way.  
Was it really so bad that she wanted him to show interest in her?

' _Just tell him how you feel!_ ' she screamed at herself internally.

Meiling had said previously that it wasn't uncommon for a god and their apprentice to form romantic bonds, so why hesitate?  
She sighed heavily. She wished Tomoyo was around to talk to. She knew she could rely on her friend to hear her out and give her some kind of advice, but Tomoyo was busy with her own duties.  
Maybe she could ask Meiling...

Sakura rolled onto her side. She didn't know what to do.

…

In the morning she walked around her house mindlessly completing all her usual chores. She ate something, but she'd hardly been paying attention to what was in front of her, and therefore couldn't recall what she'd eaten.  
She cleared her floor and cleaned her pots and pans. When she turned to her bucket to check how much water she had left, she yelped.

Water shot up into the air and standing in front of her was Meiling.  
Seeing her startled expression, Meiling grimaced. "Ah-sorry for the scare."  
Sakura just nodded, completely speechless.  
Meiling looked at the water in the large bucket, "You don't have much left, huh? Allow me to fill it for you."

With a flick of her wrist, water filled the bucket to the brim. Sakura just stared, still processing what had just happened.

"Were you in the middle of cleaning?" Meiling asked.  
Sakura blinked. "Huh? Oh-yes. But it's okay, I was actually wanting to talk to you about something."  
Meiling looked at her curiously. "Is this about Syaoran?"  
Sakura felt her face heat up, and she nodded.  
Meiling smiled softly. "Let's sit down."

The two girls sat in the middle of Sakura's lounge floor. Meiling was waiting patiently, while Sakura struggled to find the right words.  
She bit her lip.  
"Um..." Sakura mumbled a bit. "I don't think Syaoran has any interest in me..." she spoke quietly, and she was worried Meiling hadn't heard her as the goddess was staring at her with a straight face.  
Then, she burst into a fit of laughter.  
"How is that funny?" Sakura frowned.  
Meiling shook her head, "I'm sorry Sakura-I didn't mean to laugh like that...but what makes you think he doesn't?"

Sakura wondered how she should tell Meiling. It was embarrassing enough as it is.  
"Well...I stayed the night at his place because I passed out...when I woke up, I wasn't wearing my wet clothes anymore." Sakura explained. "He...he didn't seem bothered by the fact I wasn't wearing anything."  
Meiling stared at her for a moment. "Hmm, He's pretty good at masking what he's really feeling. So, I don't think it's that he's not interested, but more that he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Sakura suddenly felt bad for thinking that way. Masking his feelings so she wasn't uncomfortable was exactly something he would do.

"You should tell him how you feel." Meiling added.  
"B-but what if he doesn't feel the same way? I don't want things to be awkward between us." Sakura squeaked.  
"Oh boy...you're both totally clueless, huh?" Meiling sighed.  
"Clueless?" Sakura frowned.  
"Just tell him. Trust me."  
"But-"  
"No buts! You'll regret it if you don't." Meiling cut across her.

Sakura fidgeted. Maybe Meiling was right...she knew she would regret it if she didn't tell him.

"Okay...I'll tell him after the festival." She decided.  
Meiling smiled, "Good on you."  
Sakura blushed again and looked down at her knees.  
"By the way-the reason I'm here is because-"

Meiling's voice was cut off as a loud knock sounded at the door.  
"Sakura? Are you home, dear?" Prince Kei shouted.  
Sakura stayed where she was. She wasn't going to answer.  
"Darling? I'm worried about you."  
Meiling made a face of disgust, making Sakura smile as she tried not to giggle.  
"I'm going to kick down the door. Three..."  
Sakura still didn't move. Meiling watched her.  
"Two..."  
Sakura sighed.  
"One."  
With a loud BANG, the door came down.

Prince Kei and his retainers walked in, their eyes landing on Sakura and Meiling, who was dressed in her regular goddess garb.  
"So, you _are_ home. Darling, why didn't you answer?" he asked as he walked over.  
"I have a guest." Sakura answered plainly.  
"Well, your guest looks...interesting." He murmured as he eyed Meiling.  
"I'd like for you to leave, please." Sakura said firmly.  
Prince Kei smiled. "Now, now, there's no need to be that way. I was worried about you after what happened the other night. I thought you had followed me, but when I saw you hadn't, I was afraid something had happened to you."  
"My mentor found me and walked me home." She half lied. "I'm sorry for making you worry, but I'm busy at the moment, so please leave."

The prince looked slightly taken aback by her cold demeanour. He frowned, "Listen, you little-"  
He stopped when his retainer, Rin, placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"We're sorry for disturbing you, My Lady. We'll leave you be and visit another day."  
Sakura just nodded.  
Then, they left, leaving Sakura with a broken door lying on the floor.

"Aren't they charming, kicking down your door and leaving it like that!" Meiling scoffed, "Disgusting!"  
"It is annoying." Sakura agreed.

Meiling stood and walked over to the broken door, and with a sigh, she raised her hand. Sakura watched as magic weaved through the air and around the broken door, lifting it back into place and repairing the damage.

"Thank you for that." Sakura smiled.  
"It was no trouble." Meiling smiled. "Now-Syaoran wanted me to let you know that he's busy today, so he can't train you."  
Sakura raised her brow. "Oh...did he say why?"  
"He's got a meeting he needs to attend. He'll tell you more about it later, but I guess this free time gives you a chance to have some time to yourself to organise that offering you've been working on." Meiling winked.  
Sakura blushed. "I didn't realise the festival was tomorrow night." She confessed, "Thank you Meiling."  
"It's fine. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, huh?"  
Sakura smiled beautifully. "Of course."  
"Take care, Sakura!" Meiling smiled, and then she disappeared.

…

Syaoran had just returned from his meeting with the other gods. During the time that he had been watching and keeping an eye on the prince, he could easily tell that he was trying to manipulate the villagers into doing something to Sakura.

He had sent animals and creatures out through the village to gather information for him, and it wasn't good. He knew that Sakura was about to be targeted yet again, but he wasn't sure how. He knew that the villagers were planning to do something to her on the night of the summer festival, but he was so limited in what he could do.

However, Meiling wasn't. If the villagers pissed her off, she could easily drown them if she so desired. However, as feisty as Meiling was, she was also a very kind-hearted goddess.

And so, he had called a meeting with the other gods. He wanted the prince gone from his sight as soon as bloody possible. Harming a goddess-or god-in any way was frowned upon by all gods and goddesses alike. And so, he had called for their help-their blessings to do as he pleased just this once. It was necessary that he do this due to the contract he had with the village. But he could overrule the contract with three or more blessings from other gods and goddesses.

He looked up at the sky. The summer festival would take place the next evening, and there was a lot he needed to get ready for the event. With a soft sigh, he headed inside.

…

It was the evening of the summer festival. It was a pleasant temperature outside-not to warm and not too cold either.

Sakura was due to arrive soon. Syaoran waited patiently for her in their usual meeting place as he thought over what had been discussed at the meeting the day before. He hoped that this decision was best for Sakura.  
No.  
It was definitely best for Sakura. She wouldn't be pestered by the prince anymore.

"Syaoran!" Sakura called out as she ran up the path.  
He gave her a hopeless smile. "Running a little late?"  
"Sorry! I was finishing something." She apologised breathlessly.  
He raised a brow. "And that was?"

She pulled something from her bag and held it out to him.  
"My offering for this year." She blushed.  
A small blush crept upon his cheeks as he took it.  
"Thank you. May I open it?"  
She nodded.

He removed the brown paper wrapping to find a warm quilt made up of beautiful greens and hints of blue throughout it. He smiled softly.  
"Thank you, Sakura." He said as he kissed her cheek.  
Sakura's face turned bright red.

"Oh my. Have I interrupted something?"

Sakura jumped as she heard Tomoyo's voice. Syaoran looked slightly startled as well.

"T-Tomoyo..." Sakura stuttered.  
Her friend smiled as she held up a bag, "Your dress for this evening."  
"Ah! Thank you!" Sakura smiled.  
Meiling walked over to them, "Ready for tonight?"  
Sakura suddenly looked very nervous.  
"Syaoran, is it ok if we get Sakura changed inside?" Tomoyo asked.  
"Of course. Come in." He spoke as he led them inside.

While the girls' helped Sakura, he started preparing what he needed for the festival until he was called back, finding Sakura dressed in a stunning ivory and gold gown, fit for any goddess. It draped neatly across her chest and soft material loosely flowed down her arms. Gold embroidered patterns adorned the skirt that at the front, stopped above her knee only to fall into a very long trail at the back.  
"You look beautiful." He smiled.  
She blushed, "Thank you."

However, she was fidgeting anxiously.  
She was nervous. Very nervous.

Tomoyo placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, you will be divine out there."  
Meiling laughed at her pun.  
"But Tomoyo, what if I screw up?" Sakura spoke with pure anxiety.  
"You won't. I'll be doing the difficult parts, and I promise nothing will go wrong." Syaoran explained.  
She nodded, but she still wasn't sure.  
Meiling placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled gently. "Syaoran will be with you. Just follow his lead, and you'll be fine."  
Sakura relaxed. Meiling and Tomoyo were right-Syaoran wouldn't let her do something terribly wrong.  
"Thank you, you two."  
"Good luck!" Tomoyo smiled brightly.

They watched as the two goddesses left, and Syaoran smiled.  
"It really does suit you." He said.  
She smiled softly, "I feel like I'm in a wedding dress."  
"Really?"  
She nodded.  
"Shall we begin to seat ourselves? They'll be here soon." He suggested.  
"Sounds like a good idea." She agreed. "Hold on-that flower…"

Sakura had spotted the flower she had gone to retrieve for him sitting in a vase on his table. Syaoran noticed what she was looking at and he nodded.  
"That flower is necessary for the duration of the festival. It has certain magical properties that protect the shrine from impurities."  
"But why do we need it only for the festival?" she asked, not really understanding.  
"It helps purify the offerings. Since there are so many coming in, it can be hard to do it all myself. It's quite exhausting." He explained. "The area it grows on that mountain is full of dense magical energy, and it absorbs that energy."  
"Oh…I think it makes sense." Sakura murmured to herself.

With their conversation at an end, they stepped out the front of the house, which regular people saw as a shrine. Sakura followed Syaoran in seating herself in the proper ceremonial position for hearing prayers and wishes.  
"This is your first time listening to their prayers. It can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm sure you'll be fine."  
Sakura nodded stiffly, even more nervous.  
Syaoran glanced at her, and then sighed. She would be fine.

...

As the night came to an end, Syaoran looked to Sakura who looked rather exhausted from her whole ordeal.

"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked.  
She smiled, "I'm pretty exhausted. What do you think those villagers meant by 'please let tonight go well?'?"  
Syaoran looked thoughtful. He couldn't tell her the whole truth-that would be meddling too much-so he decided on part of the truth.  
"I think they're hoping that tonight's festival will go well, as the prince is still here."  
"You don't know for sure?" Sakura asked.  
"Not yet. I'd have to either do a divination or use the water mirror to find out." He explained.

That wasn't exactly a lie, either. He did need to do one of those things to determine exactly what was about to happen, but even then, it could be quite vague.

"I see." She giggled.

He stood and she followed, though she wobbled a bit and fell only to be caught by Syaoran.  
"Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine." She squeaked, quickly moving out of his arms.  
"Sakura..."

They locked eyes and held contact. Syaoran wondered if he should tell her about his feelings for her but shoved the thought aside.  
There were much more important matters at hand. He couldn't weigh her down with that.

She stared into his eyes, unknowing of what her body was about to do. She stepped forward, still holding eye contact with him, and she leant up and pressed her lips to his.

At first, he was surprised, but quickly relaxed and held her close as he kissed her back. He had just made the decision not to tell her, but it felt right, being like this with her.

After what felt like a lifetime, the two parted and looked into each other's eyes.  
Sakura, realising what she had done, tensed up as she blushed.  
"I-I'm sorry-I don't know-"  
He kissed her temple, calming her down. "It's ok."  
"But-"  
"Do you regret it?" he asked.  
"No... but I... I don't know how you feel about me."  
He looked at her softly. "You really don't know?"

When she said nothing, he lightly kissed her lips before resting their foreheads together. She felt her cheeks burning, but she felt relieved that he loved her.

"It's late," he murmured softly, "You should head home. I'll see you tomorrow."  
She nodded and smiled, "I'll get changed first. Then I'll head home."

He nodded and entered his house with Sakura behind him; she changed quickly and said her goodbyes before leaving, and Syaoran watched her back disappear into the darkness. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he looked over at the nearby tree.  
"Meiling, you can come out now."

Meiling stepped out from behind the tree she'd been hiding behind with a smug expression, irritating him.  
"I told you so." She stated triumphantly.  
"I'll forgive you for spying on us if you do me a favour." He said.  
Meiling watched him for a minute, and then she turned her head in the direction of the village.  
"You want me to watch out for her tonight, right? I know they're planning something."  
His face fell. "I can't meddle that much until they finally do act. But, you can."  
Meiling nodded. "Alright. I'll bring her to you once it happens."  
Syaoran frowned. "Give the villagers a taste of their own medicine. It's the summer festival-I can turn a blind eye, just for tonight."  
"Finally." She grinned, and then she disappeared into the dark of the night.

...

Sakura entered her village and could still hear festivities going in the distance. She smiled to herself, happy about what she'd shared with Syaoran earlier, and hurried home with an extra bounce in her step.  
She was looking forward to the coming day and what she would learn. While she understood that her duties were not a game, she took pride in what and who she was.  
She enjoyed learning how she could help people, even if they didn't treat her with kindness.  
However…  
She stopped dead in her tracks as she recognised the orange glow in the distance. Heart pounding, she found herself racing around the corner to see if it was true.

Before her stood a large rioting crowd and her house was up in flames. She stood staring for several moments, shell shocked.  
"What are you doing!?" she screamed.  
Several villagers turned and spotted her.  
"There's the witch!"  
They started racing towards her.

 _'Run!_ ' A familiar voice echoed in her head.

Sakura turned and sprinted away from the crowd, but she wasn't fast enough.  
One of the men tackled her to the ground, shoving her face into the dirt.  
"Stop! Please!" she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her heart was pounding, adrenaline coursing through her blood.  
Fire.  
Rage.  
Terror.  
Hatred.  
All of those feelings filled the air to the point it was almost suffocating.

Someone else raised their sharp spear and brought it down upon her. Sakura screamed.  
It never made contact with her body.

An invisible barrier stopped the spear before it could hit Sakura. She heard the rushing sound of water and some shouts of surprise and others of horror.  
"Who is that!?" a woman shouted.  
"Is she a goddess?"  
"Out of my way." Meiling hissed.

Sakura felt herself being lifted and taken somewhere, but darkness surrounded her mind and she fainted.

...

Meiling landed in front of Syaoran's home where he was waiting anxiously. In her arms was an unconscious Sakura, whom she handed over to Syaoran.  
"How bad was it?" he asked quietly.  
"It was pretty awful...she has no home. What will you do?"  
"I'll talk to her about it." He said softly.  
Meiling sighed. "Poor Sakura..."  
"All of this will end soon." Syaoran murmured. "I'll take her inside. Thank you for your help, Meiling."  
"Of course. She is my friend." Meiling rolled her eyes and smiled. "Take care."  
Syaoran nodded and turned to head inside.

He placed her gently in the sheets and removed her tattered clothes, leaving them to the side as he covered her with warm blankets.

He tucked some hair behind her ear and wiped a tear from her cheek, sighing softly.

...

Sakura woke later in the night snuggled against a familiar warm body. At first, she was confused, but then her memory came crashing back down around her. Tears slid down her cheeks and she buried her face in Syaoran's chest.

"You're safe. It's ok." He murmured softly.  
"Everything I've been trying to keep alive in that house is gone." She sobbed as he stroked her hair softly.  
"I know. I'm sorry I couldn't stop it." He whispered.  
She shook her head as if to say it wasn't his fault.  
"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.  
"No..."

Sakura didn't know what to do. The home she had lived in for so long had been the home she was born and raised in. She had kept anything her parents had left for her close, but now it was all gone.  
"Stay with me." He whispered.  
Her eyes widened. "Syaoran..."  
"You can live with me." He repeated.  
"Are you sure? I-I'm..."  
"Of course, I'm sure." He said softly.

Tears welled up in her eyes and hugged him tighter, so thankful to have met and fallen in love with him.

He wiped her tears and lifted her chin to look into her emerald eyes. He leant in and kissed her softly, running his hand down her bare back.

It was then that she realised she wasn't wearing any clothes, and... neither was he.  
She assumed that was just how he slept.

He kissed her harder and a small moan escaped her throat; he licked her lip in plea of entry and she immediately granted him entry into her warm cavern, battling for dominance.

After parting, he stared into her glassy eyes for a long moment before kissing her again. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pressed her body closer, feeling her desire for him growing.  
It just felt…right.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, not willing to go any further without her permission.  
She nodded, "Yes."  
They simply looked into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity with the occasional kiss, taking their time with each other.

He parted in favour of kissing her neck and he gently cupped one of her breasts, massaging it and squeezing softly. She arched her back to his touch and he pressed her body into the sheets with his.

He kissed her forehead and then her lips as his fingers ghosted the inside of her thighs, parting her folds and dipping his finger in, brushing against her sensitive pearl. She tightened her grip in his hair and gasped as he rolled it beneath his finger; something was tightening in her abdomen and he was bringing her higher and higher. She quickly realised what he was intending to do, and suddenly the feeling burst. She moaned into his neck, her body feeling limp and her heart pounding.

He wrapped her legs around his waist and readied himself at her entrance, slowly pushing aside her walls.

She gasped, tears of pain pricking her eyes, and he waited patiently for her to relax, kissing her often and gently.  
"Are you ok?" he asked softly.  
She smiled, her cheeks a little pink. "I'm fine. Thank you."  
She reached up and kissed him gently, holding him close.

She had no regrets in being with him so intimately. They were the same, after all, and he knew her better than anyone else. She had watched any and all family die as her body never aged, and anyone she had ever fallen in love with had left her out of fear or had betrayed her trust.

But Syaoran wouldn't do that to her.

She held him close as he slowly pushed into her.  
He would pause often to see if she was ok, allowing her to relax beneath him. They kissed often and passionately, and after a while she found herself gasping his name and begging him to go faster, so he did as she asked.  
The coil was back in her abdomen again, tightening with each thrust, until finally it burst. A soft moan escaped her lips and her body felt limp, pleasure coursing through her blood.

The clamping of her muscles brought him over the edge and he collapsed beside her in the sheets. She pulled him in for a kiss, her heart racing.  
As she parted he looked into his amber eyes and he smiled softly.  
"Get some sleep, love."  
She smiled in comfort and her eyes drifted shut, falling into a deep sleep in Syaoran's warm embrace.

* * *

 **What do you think will happen from here?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! Thanks for your reviews, they were lovely to read! Sadly, the prince won't be cursed for another few chapters. There's still one more thing he needs in order to curse him lmao. -runs away-**

 **Akatsuki: THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS! I'm so glad to hear that you think my writing has improved. I hope that I can give you the answers to your questions in the upcoming chapters. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **This chapter is slightly longer than the usual.**

* * *

Sakura woke in the morning to the bright sunlight coming through the window. Shielding her eyes, she rolled over and found that Syaoran wasn't with her. She started to panic, but quickly reminded herself that he would never abandon her. With the sheets being held to her chest, she sat up and looked around. Her hand brushed a piece of paper and she looked down, spotting a little note on the pillow Syaoran slept on.

 _-I have business to tend to today. Meiling will take on your lessons for today, but I'll be back in the late afternoon. She knows the situation._

 _P.S. There's clothes for you in the drawers. -_

She sighed softly. She frowned at the last bit of the message, confused about the clothes. How did he get clothes for her so fast?

Sakura shrugged and stretched before standing. Her legs felt a bit stiff, but she decided that would pass, and she walked over to the draws and started rummaging around to see what she could find.

As he had said, there were some clothes for her inside. She pulled out the plain white summer dress and some underwear and dressed herself before moving to get something to eat. She found the fruit and grabbed a peach and an apple to eat, and as she ate she wondered what Syaoran was doing.

As she ate alone, she thought about her lost home. The place she had grown up in and she had lived for her entire life was now burned to ashes. She was angry and felt depressed about it-she was angry that those villagers had taken things so far, but perhaps she had been a bit too optimistic when she believed they wouldn't dare do that to her.  
But they had, and there was nothing she could do about it anymore. So, she left the matter with Syaoran, along with her trust.

...

Prince Kei was not in a good mood. Yes, he had succeeded in getting the villagers to burn the girls' house down, but from reports the girl had been carried away by some unknown person or thing-he wasn't sure.  
The villagers had described flooding waters and a woman with dark hair and scarlet coloured eyes. He remembered the woman who had been sitting with Sakura in her house a few days ago, in her strangely ethereal clothing.  
There were things that didn't add up, and it angered him.

Ren walked in and handed him a bottle of scotch.

"Well? Any news of her?" Kei growled as he ripped the cap off and started drinking.  
"No, unfortunately." Ren replied.  
"Where the hell was she taken? She was supposed to be left stranded and I was to bring her here." He snarled.  
"No one knows where she's gone or who that woman was that took her away, but the villagers are a bit reluctant to help us. They're convinced that the gods are angered for whatever reason."  
"Angered over one little girl? Give me a break."

Syaoran, hearing enough, sighed loudly. "So that was your plan." He spoke clearly.

Both men span around in surprise and anger. Kei's eyes narrowed.  
"How did _you_ get in here?" he demanded.  
Syaoran walked over to the couch, ignoring his question. "Your retainer here warned you not to anger the gods. You clearly aren't smart enough to listen."  
"Answer my question, or I'll have your head!" Prince Kei shouted.  
Syaoran glared at him sharply. "Sit _down_ , mortal."

Rattled by the terrifying disembodied voice, Kei sat down, though still seething.  
Ren stared at the god with wonder and fear.

"So, you intended to 'rescue' Sakura from those village people, hm?" Syaoran asked.  
"You obviously heard all of the conversation." Prince Kei muttered.  
"Yes, I did." Syaoran replied calmly, relaxing in his chair. "And in answer to your question, I've been right next to you all morning."  
"Lies! I've been alone!" Kei hissed.

"First of all, I should re introduce myself." Syaoran spoke calmly. "My name is Syaoran, and I'm the God who watches over Alyrias."  
Kei snorted into a fit of laughter. "A god? You expect me to believe that?"  
"No, not really. I knew you'd need evidence." Syaoran murmured. "Go ahead and try to murder me, I won't stop you."

Kei looked utterly delighted as he drew his sword at his waist and thrust it towards Syaoran's face, only to watch it shatter into a thousand pieces while Syaoran stared ahead with a straight face.

"What?" he spluttered. "That was my best sword!"  
"Pity." Syaoran rolled his eyes.  
"Your highness, it seems this God has something he wishes to discuss." Ren murmured.  
Prince Kei sat back down in his seat. "Oh really?"

"We know that your country is on the brink of war with the neighbouring country, and you wanted Sakura as a weapon. Sakura is a goddess, and she will be treated in no such way, or used for that matter." Syaoran spoke coldly. "Therefore, we gods will assist in stopping the war, and you will leave. Understood?"

Prince Kei smirked, "You gods? You're such selfish beings. Interfering only when it suits your whims."

"We interfere where necessary. And right now, it's entirely necessary to keep the world safe." Syaoran spoke. "You will leave tonight, and if you are not gone by sundown, I will personally drop you in the sea by your castle in a most unpleasant manner." His last few words were each laced with terrifying truth.

"Ah yes, I'm sure you will." Kei snickered, but faltered under Syaoran's growing fury.  
"A gods' wrath is not something we wish to know. We'll leave." Ren spoke calmly.  
"Good." Syaoran spoke coldly, and right before their eyes, he disappeared. Finally, he would be rid of that pest.

He met up with Eriol at their chosen meeting place and sat down, releasing a heavy sigh.  
"How'd your little meeting with the prince go?" Eriol asked.  
"About what you'd expect. There's a meeting with the gods of that other country, right? Is it finished?" Syaoran replied.  
"Let's go find out." Eriol replied.

...

Meiling had picked up Syaoran's lessons on rituals and rites, explaining to Sakura about the different types and their purpose. She used her own recent ritual as an example.

"In exchange for offerings, I purify the water and keep it in a state that it can be used for drinking." She explained. "Syaoran performs many rituals and rites to keep the village safe and healthy."  
"He does?" Sakura asked.  
Meiling nodded. "He can explain in a bit more detail about what he does." She continued to explain, "However, in order for me to replenish my power, I usually go into hibernation through the winter."  
"Does Syaoran have to do that?" Sakura wondered.  
Meiling shook her head. "No. He has a sleep-wake cycle that's identical to a human. He replenishes his power during that time."  
Sakura nodded understanding. "I think I understand."  
Meiling smiled. "Great." She said, "Syaoran will explain to you the sort of rites you will have to perform, but it's nothing to get stressed about."  
"Somehow that just makes me even more anxious." Sakura confessed.  
Meiling sighed softly.

The sun was setting by the time Syaoran returned.  
Sakura greeted him with a smile, "I hope you don't mind, but I started making dinner so it would be ready for when you got back."

Syaoran smiled gently. "Thank you." He said as he walked over to her and hugged her. "How was your lesson with Meiling?"

"It was ok. I'm not sure I completely understand everything about rites and rituals yet, though." Sakura replied as she dished stew out into bowls for the two of them.  
"You'll understand better with time and performing them yourself." Syaoran said.  
"Performing...?" she murmured anxiously.  
He looked at her and raised his brow. "You are a goddess, love."  
"I know-but..."  
"But you didn't think you'd have to perform any rites or rituals?" he finished for her as he walked over to his chair to sit down.  
She stayed silent, embarrassed.  
"I'll have you perform the fertility rites for this next year. They're not hard-just exhausting."  
Sakura stared at her food for a moment, lost in thought.  
She ate quietly, nibbling her food slowly.

She snapped out of her reverie when Syaoran lifted her up, hoisting her legs around his hips.  
"What are you thinking?" he asked, looking into her deep green eyes.  
She returned his gaze, the expression of surprise showing clearly on her features.  
"Syaoran..."  
"Is something bothering you?" he asked softly.  
She smiled and kissed him. "No, nothing is bothering me."  
He seemed to be thinking for a moment and then nodded.  
"Alright."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.  
They stayed like that for a while, holding each other, until Sakura pulled back and gave him a smile.  
"What shall we do before bed?" she asked.  
He gave her an amused smile. "I need to organise some medicines for tomorrow. Would you like to help?"  
She blinked. "Sure, but what's happening tomorrow?"

He let her fall back to her feet before moving about, finding what he needed.  
"I also provide medicines to the faerie folk." He answered, "Some have asked to pick up their orders tomorrow."  
"I see," she hummed.  
"Let's get started."

…

Syaoran watched as Sakura slept peacefully beside him. Her breathing was light and even. He was still worried about her, especially after what had happened to her home. She was surely feeling angry with the villagers for what they had put her through, but she hadn't shown any sign of that rage, nor had he sensed it in her either. He found that rather peculiar.  
His mind came screeching to a halt when he realised that was exactly in her nature-to completely forgive someone who had wronged her. But could she really forgive people who had treated her in such vile ways, going so far as to burn her home down?  
The feeling in his gut told him that yes, Sakura would absolutely do something like that.

He reached out and brushed some of her hair out of her face, then picked up the mirror sitting on the bedside table. He searched for the prince and found that he was heading back to his castle as he had promised, but Syaoran didn't feel like things were over yet. If anything, it felt like things were just about to get a whole lot more complicated.

With a sigh, he set the mirror to the side and switched off the lamp before he lay down next to Sakura, pulling her into his arms and closing his eyes.

Syaoran woke when the sun rose. He looked over to see Sakura snuggled against him, looking content and happy. Smiling, he left her to sleep while he got up and dressed himself before he left the house.

It was a quiet morning. The sun was shining through the trees and was warm on his skin, but he could sense that the weather was cooling as they neared autumn. Syaoran made his way through the forest completing his usual tasks but stopped when he recognised one of the mountain cats heading towards him with a letter attached to its leg.  
He frowned and knelt to remove the scroll of paper, and he opened it to read what was inside.

It was information about the war. The gods who oversaw Tides were intervening in the war after they heard what the prince had tried to do. Now, they waited. There wasn't much they could do except for wait now. Syaoran knew that, and as infuriating as it was, he had learned to accept things that were frustrating and unfair.

He carried on with his morning duties before he headed back to the shrine, and when he entered he spotted Sakura lying awake in bed. He smiled as he walked over and sat down beside her.  
"Morning." He greeted her.  
She smiled tiredly. "Hey."  
"You look comfortable. Too bad you need to get out of bed." He teased her lightly.  
She groaned.  
He leant in to her and kissed her cheek, parting and looking into her eyes.

"Syaoran...what happens now?" she asked quietly. "Surely the prince won't just leave without retaliation...?"  
He sighed gently. "You're right."

She watched him with an unreadable expression.

"For now, he is gone. I'm in touch with others about his comings and goings, so if there is any threat I'll be warned." He murmured. "For now, we continue as usual."

Sakura sighed softly and moved to sit up. He watched her softly and she smiled.  
"Okay,"  
"I'll be teaching you more about rites and rituals today. Meiling told me about your lesson with her from yesterday." He smiled.  
She nodded.  
"I suspect Tomoyo will drop in at some point to see how you're doing." He said.  
"Speaking of Tomoyo-was she the one who gave you a bunch of clothes for me?" Sakura asked.  
"Yes, she did." Syaoran answered, "Why?"  
She shrugged. "I was just curious. I didn't think you'd randomly have a bunch of clothes for me for no reason."  
He stood and walked towards the kitchen. When he didn't say anything, she raised her brow. "What?"  
"Nothing." He replied.  
She continued to stare at him and he heaved a sigh. "I was prepared for anything to happen."  
Sakura felt her face turn red. "O-oh...thank you..."

There was silence as Sakura stood to get dressed, and she walked over to where he was standing.  
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.  
"The village." He answered.  
"Is there something wrong?" she frowned.

His expression was unreadable. Sakura waited for a long moment, and just as she was sure he wouldn't answer, he spoke.

"I'm not sure." Syaoran murmured, and then he turned to her. "Should we get started?"  
Sakura nodded, "Sure!"

They left the house and made their way through the forest. It was hot beneath the sun, making Sakura's usual training drills incredibly exhausting since Syaoran didn't go easy on her despite the change in their relationship, or the change in Sakura's life.  
So, it came as no surprise to Syaoran when she fell asleep earlier than usual that night.

…

Syaoran was hardly surprised when Tomoyo appeared the next morning, looking frantic. Once her eyes landed on Sakura, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she hugged her.  
"I heard from Eriol what happened to you on the night of the festival! I'm so relieved you're unharmed." Tomoyo said softly.  
"I'm sorry I worried you." Sakura smiled, "Eriol knew what happened?"  
"I told him." Syaoran confessed, "He's been helping relay messages between myself and others when the messenger cats aren't an option."  
"Ah, I understand." Sakura smiled.

Tomoyo noticed she was wearing a dress she had made for her and she smiled. "I'm glad you got the clothes I made you."  
"Oh! Yes, I'm grateful for the clothes. And as always, they're comfortable and beautiful too." Sakura smiled brightly.  
"I'm so happy you like them! But...have you been to your old home to see if anything survived?" Tomoyo asked.  
Sakura froze, and she averted her gaze.  
Tomoyo immediately turned to Syaoran, "You didn't take her?"  
"I didn't want to force it on her. She's been through enough." Syaoran murmured.  
"But-"  
"I'm fine, really. Please don't worry about me." Sakura's smile was strained.  
Syaoran locked eyes with Tomoyo and shook his head. Tomoyo sighed softly.  
"Alright," she smiled.  
"I'll leave you to talk with each other. I have a few things I need to tend to." Syaoran said.  
"Okay," Sakura smiled, "See you later."

Tomoyo watched him leave, and then she turned to Sakura with a knowing smile.  
"The two of you seem more intimate."  
Sakura's face turned tomato red as she recalled what she and Syaoran had shared the other night. The warmth of his body against hers and the smell of his skin. The feel of his lips against hers and his hands on her body.  
"Come back down to earth, sweetie." Tomoyo laughed.  
Sakura's attention snapped back to Tomoyo. "Huh? Oh!"  
"Possibly more intimate than I thought."  
"T-Tomoyo!"  
"I'm happy for you, Sakura. You deserve to be happy after everything you've been through." Tomoyo smiled softly. "I wish I had been there for you when you needed me most."

Sakura watched her best friend with a gentle gaze for a moment. She could see how torn her friend was about having had to leave her alone, but Sakura didn't feel any anger towards her. She had come to understand the complicated duties that gods and goddesses had to complete, and while Tomoyo was her cousin, she was also a goddess.

"Tomoyo, please don't feel guilty." Sakura smiled, "I understand. And it must have been hard for you too."  
Tomoyo gave her a sad smile. "Yes, I was always worried about you. But Syaoran would tell me how you were doing."  
"Has Syaoran always been alone?" Sakura asked.  
Tomoyo looked thoughtful. "Well, he's close with Eriol and Meiling, but he's never really been very open. Not like he is with you."  
"Oh..."  
"Why do you ask?"  
"Aeros, one of the fae folk that helps us out with some jobs, often refers to him as 'the lonely god'." Sakura replied.  
Tomoyo smiled, "I didn't know that, but now that I think about it, he's changed since he was able to tell you everything."  
Sakura's eyes widened, "He has?"  
Tomoyo nodded. "He's not as...sad."

Sakura smiled a little. Then, she frowned. "Why wasn't he ever allowed to tell me in the first place?"  
"I think you should ask him yourself." Tomoyo replied.  
Sakura nibbled her lip. "I'm too scared."  
"Why?" Tomoyo asked.  
Sakura sighed softly. "I...I don't really know."  
Tomoyo turned to Sakura and took her hand in her own. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll always be here for you."  
She smiled, "Thank you Tomoyo. Really."

...

Syaoran leant his back against the large oak tree and sighed heavily. He hadn't pushed Sakura to go look at the remains of her home because he didn't want her to take on any more than she needed to. But... she would have to face it sooner or later.

"You look gloomy."  
He looked up and spotted Meiling sitting on the tree branch above him.  
"Thinking about something to do with Sakura?" she asked.  
"Sort of." He replied. "I haven't taken her to confront her old house."  
Meiling hummed in understanding. "So that's why you're gloomy."  
"I'm not gloomy." He muttered. "I'm worried."  
"You can't protect her forever. Eventually she'll have to face herself." Meiling said. "She needs to."  
"...I know."  
"There's gossip going around that the prince is up to something." Meiling added, "What will we do?"  
"There's nothing we can do. Not me, anyway." Syaoran murmured, "If he does return, then I may be forced to do something."  
"Like curse him?"  
He shrugged.  
Meiling rolled her eyes, "Boy oh boy."  
"Shut up."

Meiling laughed and jumped down onto the ground beside him as he started walking.

"Are you going to see what remains of her house?"  
"Yeah. I also want to have a look around the village." Syaoran answered.  
"Huh. Okay then."

They walked in silence. Syaoran knew Meiling had something else on her mind, and he was waiting for her to spit it out.

After a while, he got tired of waiting. "What is it?" he asked.  
"Hm?"  
"What are you thinking about? I know there's something." He said impatiently.  
Meiling's expression turned serious. "Her rage-can she overcome it?"  
Syaoran sighed heavily. "I don't know just yet. But I believe in her-the core of her being-I'm sure everything will be fine."  
Meiling gave him a hopeless smile. "Yes, I think you might be right."

The village seemed almost totally undisturbed, as if Prince Kei had never been there, or Sakura for that matter. Part of Syaoran felt completely and utterly pissed with the village, but he knew nothing good would come of his anger. And watching others suffer was not something he cared for.

He walked with Meiling around the streets, observing the villagers. It looked like they were preparing offerings of some kind to appease his or Meiling's wrath.

He listened to the surrounding chatter to see if he could understand what they were for, and sure enough, they were offerings for Meiling after the village had experienced her wrath.  
"Looks like they're going to plead for your forgiveness." Syaoran murmured as he walked away.  
"Maybe they should try being decent human beings." Meiling snorted and followed him.

They walked through the streets until they came upon a familiar area. Syaoran spotted the burned remains of Sakura's old home and walked towards it, coming to a stop in front of the remains.  
However, he was surprised to see that a group of villagers were cleaning the area up-he could sense a heavy air of remorse around the area.

Meiling's eyes widened upon seeing the site.  
"What do you suppose they're doing?" she asked.

Syaoran was quiet as he watched for a little while longer. The wind blew against him gently.

"What should we do with these surviving items?" one of the villagers called out.

Syaoran glanced over at the woman and immediately recognised her as the mother of the little girl Sakura had helped many months back.  
She was holding a half-finished tapestry and a pile of books that he had given Sakura to study.

"Put them somewhere safe-when we're done, we'll place them in a box to bury here."

Meiling raised her brow. It was the man who had tossed Sakura into her lake after she'd helped his daughter.

"Daddy, do you think the kind lady will come back? Do you think she'll like it?" the little girl asked her father with hopeful eyes.  
"I'd like to think she would, sweetie. So, let's make the place as nice as we can, okay?"  
"Okay!"

Meiling looked at Syaoran who wore an unreadable expression.  
"Syaoran?"  
"...I'm going to keep an eye on this development." He murmured as he watched the group of villagers work together.  
"Are you going to tell Sakura?" she asked.  
"No. Not yet." He replied, and then turned to leave.

Meiling wondered what was going through his mind as she watched him leave-how he felt about the whole situation. She shrugged and decided that she too, would wait and see what came of the area.

…

Sakura was sitting by the fire reading a thick book on fertility rites when Syaoran returned. He noticed the book and smiled.  
"Curious about the different rites performed?" he asked.

Sakura jumped, startled by his sudden presence. She had been so absorbed in reading that she hadn't noticed him.  
"Syaoran-you startled me!"  
"I seem to do that a lot." He murmured.  
She looked at the book in her hands. "I wanted to know more about fertility gods and goddesses and what they do." She blushed.  
Syaoran smiled softly. "It's a good idea to read that, then. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."  
"I will. So far, everything makes sense to me." She said.

"When did Tomoyo leave?" Syaoran asked curiously. "Did the two of you have a good time?"

Sakura smiled as she watched him cross the room to start preparing their evening meal.  
"Yes, I enjoyed being able to see her again. She told me about some of her training that she went through with Eriol. It was really interesting to hear how his methods of teaching are very similar to yours-or is that the same with everyone?" she asked.

"Eriol and I were mentored by the same person, so I wouldn't be surprised if our teaching methods are similar." Syaoran explained.  
"I guess that makes sense. Will...will I have to take on an apprentice someday?" Sakura then asked.  
"Maybe, maybe not. If you find yourself wanting to, then maybe you will. If not, then maybe you won't." Syaoran replied.  
Sakura hummed in thought. "Maybe if it were our child..." she murmured to herself quietly.  
"I'm afraid I didn't catch that." He said.  
"Sorry, I was just mumbling to myself!" she laughed awkwardly.

Syaoran looked over and watched her for a moment, and she squirmed under his gaze.  
"W-what?" she mumbled.  
He returned his gaze to cutting the vegetables in front of him. "How do you feel about learning how to perform a divination?"  
Sakura looked at him with a puzzled expression.  
"I'm not sure...aren't there different types of divinations?" she asked.  
He nodded. "There is. I'll teach you something that's a bit simpler, with tarot cards."  
"Alright..."

"With this method, you don't have to worry about what phase the moon is at or how to read stars-it's not terribly complicated." He explained. "Well, at least it's easiest for me. Some gods or goddesses can see glimpses of the future in dreams, but it's quite rare."

Sakura froze upon hearing the information and Syaoran immediately noticed.  
"You seem familiar with prophetic dreams, love."  
Sakura looked at her hands and fidgeted.  
"Well...I haven't had any of those sorts of dreams for years, but I did foresee my parents passing away, and about some sudden changes in the village..." she confessed. "My mother told me that the dreams I'd have were prophetic dreams."  
"Your mother was also a dream seer." He informed her.  
She blinked. "You knew my mother?"  
Syaoran grimaced. "Sort of...she was the former fertility goddess of Alyrias."  
Sakura's mind span. "O-oh... Well, it does make sense, I guess."  
Syaoran lowered his eyes. "She asked me to watch over you before she died. She wanted you to be happy-and to be spared from the life as a goddess."

He stared at the bench in front of him, wondering if Sakura would be angered, but looked up with surprise when he felt her slender arms wrap around his waist.  
"Thank you," she whispered, "For always being there for me. I'm not sure my mother made the right choice for me, but I know she only wanted the best for my wellbeing."

Syaoran cupped her cheek gently and kissed her forehead. He wondered if she'd have said the same words six months ago.  
She looked up and met his soft gaze for what felt like a long moment, and then she leant up and kissed him softly.  
"I love you." She smiled.  
He returned her gentle smile, "I love you too."

She felt her cheeks turn very pink and she buried her face in his chest.  
For a while they stood in the middle of the kitchen holding each other. Syaoran sensed she had questions, but he decided to wait until she asked them.

"Um..." she mumbled awkwardly, "Just out of curiosity, why do you suddenly want to teach me divination?"

Syaoran thought for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure himself. He could feel her eyes on him, waiting for his answer.  
"I've been thinking about it for a while," he started, "And with everything that is happening, I thought it might be a good time to introduce it to you."  
She smiled, "Okay."  
"I'll just finish this and then we can start. For now, why don't you read this-it has the different meanings for the tarot cards." He said, walking over to the large book shelf and pulling out a small book for her.  
She took it from him and nodded, "Okay."

Sakura sat back down in the lounge room and opened the book to read through while Syaoran cooked for them.

While he waited for the soup to cook, Syaoran sat down with Sakura and handed her the deck of cards.  
He instructed her on what she needed to do, watching her carefully. She laid out the cards in front of her and he stared at the cards with an unreadable expression.  
He wasn't sure if the cards were trying to warn her of something or if he was overthinking it, but things didn't look good.

"I'm not sure I understand the message here..." Sakura mumbled.  
"That's fine. What do you make of it, though?"  
Sakura frowned. "My instincts are telling me that someone close to me will be in danger... and that someone wants revenge against me."

Syaoran frowned. That was definitely a warning, but there was no need to cause her any unnecessary distress. So, he stayed silent about it.

"Syaoran...do you know what this might mean?"  
Syaoran shook his head. "That message is not for me. It's for you."

Sakura stared at him for a long moment, and then lowered her eyes to the cards on the floor in front of her.  
"Okay..."

He gathered the cards and stood to put them away. "This might be good for you to study as well. It's a book on how to read the stars-unfortunately I'm not very good at it." He laughed as he handed her another thick, leather bound book.  
"How am I supposed to learn all of this?" Sakura blurted out.  
Syaoran laughed. "With a lot of time. Don't worry, it might only take you a hundred years or so."  
She stared at him with wide eyes.  
"A hundred years!?"  
He tipped his head to the side with confusion, "A hundred years isn't that long for us. What's wrong?"  
Sakura felt overwhelmed. "It's just...never mind." She groaned.  
He blinked. "You're overwhelmed?"  
"Are you reading my mind again?" she squinted at him.  
He gave her a look of disapproval. "Sakura, I don't read your mind. I read your feelings." He reminded her.

She fidgeted. "Well... I do feel a bit overwhelmed." She confessed but was worried he'd be disappointed with her.  
Instead, he smiled softly. "That's okay. Take your time learning these things, alright?"  
Sakura suddenly felt at ease. A small smile formed on her lips and she nodded.  
"Thank you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello, here's the next chapter :3 I am sick ugh**

* * *

Sakura looked up at the trees bare of leaves. It was the end of autumn, which meant that Sakura had been living with Syaoran for a little over four months. Her training was progressing slowly, but she was improving bit by bit, and as always, she was attentive during her lessons.  
The cold wind blew against her skin and she rubbed her bare arms.

Something warm wrapped around her shoulders and she looked up with surprise; Syaoran smiled softly and she pulled the warm fur wrap tighter around her shoulders.  
"I made that for you. It should keep you warm during this winter." He said softly.  
"Thank you..." she blushed. "Where did you get the fur?"  
"It's from the wolf that passed away a few weeks ago." Syaoran answered.

It wasn't uncommon to make use of animal pelts when they passed away. He often made sure resources didn't go to waste-something Sakura had learned during the months she'd been living with him.  
Sakura had grown used to living with Syaoran. At first it had felt a little awkward, but they both quickly grew used to each other's presence. Syaoran didn't have much of a problem, but Sakura had grown so used to living on her own that she forgot what it was like to live with someone else.  
It was rare for them to be separated from one another, now.

"Morning, lovebirds." Meiling yawned widely as she approached the pair. She looked utterly exhausted.  
"Meiling, it's late afternoon." Syaoran frowned.  
"Whatever..." she mumbled, "I'm so bloody tired..."  
"You're going into hibernation soon, right?" Sakura said.  
"That's correct." Meiling replied tiredly. "I'll wake up during early spring, though."  
"Pity." Syaoran muttered.  
Meiling glared at him. "What was that?" she asked dangerously.  
"Nothing." He said quickly.

"Syaoran's been teaching me more advanced medicines and healing techniques lately. He has me taking care of a phoenix now." Sakura smiled brightly.  
"A phoenix huh? That's pretty advanced stuff." Meiling murmured.  
"If she can take care of a phoenix or unicorn, she can take care of anything." Syaoran shrugged.

"I suppose that's true. It's a pity we don't have dragons around here anymore." Meiling said, "Looking after one of those would be one hell of a test for Sakura. What kind of phoenix are you caring for, anyway? Is it-"

"A white phoenix." Sakura replied.

Meiling stared at her, dumbfounded.  
"Syaoran, where in the world did you get one of those!?" she hissed. "Not only are they ridiculously rare, but they're a _nightmare_ to take care of!"  
"It was a gift." Syaoran shrugged. "Where in the world Tomoyo got her hands on one, I have absolutely no idea."  
"They're beautiful creatures. So far I haven't had any trouble raising it." Sakura smiled cheerfully.  
Meiling just sighed. "Well, that's good to hear at least."  
Sakura nodded.  
"I better go before I collapse on the floor." Meiling yawned, "See you in Spring."  
"Rest well!" Sakura replied.

The goddess just nodded tiredly as she turned to leave, heading back to her lake and leaving Sakura and Syaoran alone.

Syaoran slid his arm around Sakura's waist and she looked up to see he looked a bit lost in thought.  
"Is something happening at the village? You look a bit lost in thought." She asked.  
He smiled, "There's something I need to check on down at the village. Why don't you go ahead and look for impurities without me? You're quite good at controlling your magic now-I don't think you'll have any issues."  
Her eyes widened. "A-are you certain?"  
"If I wasn't certain, I wouldn't have suggested it, love."  
She blushed. "Okay. I'll do what I can."  
Syaoran smiled, "I'll be back later."  
Sakura nodded, and he retracted his arm from around her waist before turning and heading off.

The villagers were all getting ready for the approaching winter. Syaoran had ensured they had enough to survive the cruel season as long as they used their resources wisely, but he couldn't give them another huge harvest unlike the year before. The land needed time to recover, after all.  
Thankfully, the villagers weren't stupid. From what he could tell, things were going smoothly.

He made his way to the place where Sakura's old home had once stood. He had made a point to visit the area at least once a week ever since the fire to check to see how things were going. He came to a stop in front of the place, seeing that the villagers had done more work on the area.

They seemed to be creating some sort of shrine or a memorial of sorts as an apology to Sakura. Syaoran wasn't sure why, exactly, but listening to the villager's conversations during the time they worked on the area, that was the most likely conclusion.  
There was what Syaoran guessed would be a fountain half sculpted and the beginnings of a beautiful garden.  
An arch had just been started along with a stone bench for seating.  
Syaoran wondered how Sakura would feel about the place when she saw it. He had a feeling it would be difficult for her to accept, given how the villagers had treated her for so long.

He wanted to go and get her to show her, but she wasn't ready yet. Instead, he just watched for a while until darkness fell, and then he headed home.

Sakura looked up as he entered the warm house and she smiled.  
"Welcome home."  
"Thank you," he smiled softly.  
"You were gone for hours...was everything okay?" she asked with concern.  
Syaoran nodded, "Yes, for the most part. I think this winter is going to be rough for the village, though."  
Her eyes widened. "What? How come?"  
"They just barely have enough food, and from my divination earlier this morning, illness is going to be particularly bothersome this year." Syaoran replied. "We may be quite busy."

Sakura gnawed her lip anxiously. She was worried for the children and young babies.  
"Darling?"  
She looked up and met Syaoran's gaze. He looked sympathetic, as if he knew exactly what was going through her mind.  
She walked over and hugged him.  
"I'm worried for the children."  
"I am as well." He confessed, "But I'm sure the village will be fine."

Sakura hugged him tighter. She wanted to believe his words, but part of her couldn't. She wondered if it was instinct, or if she was just being overly anxious.  
"Let's get some rest." He smiled and leant his forehead against hers.  
"Okay..." she replied softly.

...

Sakura woke to find she was wrapped in Syaoran's warm arms. She smiled softly and snuggled closer to him, feeling comforted by his warmth.  
Syaoran squeezed her body gently but didn't move to make her get up, and instead continued to hold her.

She opened her eyes and looked up, finding he was watching her softly. She felt her cheeks redden-she was still caught off guard by that gaze of his, even though she had been living-and sleeping-with him for quite a few months now.

"Are you going to sleep there all day?" he asked with amusement.  
She frowned. "I wasn't planning to."  
"I know," he murmured as he nuzzled her cheek affectionately.  
"How long have I been asleep for...?" she looked over at the window to find the bright sunlight filtering through the window.  
"Long enough that I've already been out to do my morning duties." He chuckled softly.  
She turned a deep shade of red. "O-oh..."

They lay in silence. Sakura just couldn't bring herself to part from his embrace, and it seemed he felt the same way about her as well. She felt totally at ease with Syaoran, so much so that she hated being apart from him.

"Sakura?"  
She snapped back to attention.  
"Huh? Wha?"

He laughed softly. She loved the way he gave her his attention, how he smiled tenderly at her and how he would shower her with soft kisses during their spare moments.  
He loved her, and he wasn't afraid to prove it.

"I was saying you should probably eat something." Syaoran said softly.

Now that he had mentioned it, she was rather hungry. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly, and her face turned a dark shade of red.  
"Oh, yes-you're right." She mumbled, feeling completely embarrassed.

She sat up and Syaoran watched her as she dressed warmly before moving to get something to eat. He stood from the bed and walked over to the window where Sakura's white phoenix was sitting. He noticed something in her beak, and with a frown, he opened the window and the beautiful bird hopped in.  
"Sylvia has bought you something." He murmured, immediately gaining Sakura's attention.

She walked over and spotted what the phoenix was holding-a glimmering stone that Sakura had never seen before.  
"Do you know what this is?" Sakura asked Syaoran as she held it up to examine it.  
"It's a rare type of gem stone. Fire Opal." He answered. "I wonder where she found it?"  
Sakura shrugged. "Not sure."  
"I wonder if... Never mind." Syaoran didn't finish his line of thought, catching Sakura's curiosity, but even then, he didn't elaborate.  
"What should we do with it for now? It's got powerful healing abilities for those who are near it, right?" Sakura asked.  
Syaoran smiled gently. "I'll leave that choice up to you."

Sakura watched him for a moment, and then she looked down at the stone resting in her hands.  
"I'd like to keep it somewhere safe. You never know when we might need it."  
He nodded, "Okay."  
Sakura suddenly felt her chest tighten. "I don't know where to put it...any safe boxes I had were destroyed in the fire."

Syaoran walked over to one of the shelves with several bottles of ointments and elixirs on top of it, along with jars of bizarre specimens and what looked like some kind of egg.  
He picked up a small, ebony box and wiped the dust off it before he turned and held it out to her. "How about this?"

Sakura walked over and looked at the box. "Are you sure?" she asked.  
He nodded, "I'd like to see the box put to good use. This seems like the perfect chance."  
She smiled softly. "Okay, Let's use this then."

She put the stone in the box and closed the lid gently as she walked over to Sylvia's perch and placed the box next to it.  
Sylvia hopped onto her perch and chirped for Sakura's attention.  
Sakura smiled, "Thank you, Sylvia."  
The white phoenix chirped again, pleased with herself.  
"Let's start your lessons for the day." Syaoran said. "You still have a lot to learn."  
Sakura smiled cheerfully, "Okay!"

It was cold and bitter outside, the wind icy against Sakura's skin. She was grateful for the warm winter clothes Tomoyo had made for her, and for the fur wrap Syaoran had given her. They walked for a long while, piquing Sakura's curiosity.

"Where are we going?" she asked.  
Syaoran looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. "You'll see."  
Sakura pouted but didn't bother trying to get the answer out of him. He was good at staying silent and not telling her a thing until he felt it was right.

They walked for a long time in silence, and at some point, Sakura had slipped her hand into his. Sakura recognised her surroundings, noticing that they were headed for the top of the mountain she had climbed in the early summer to retrieve that flower.  
She looked over at Syaoran who just gave her a cryptic smile. She tried to remember what else she had learned about the mountain, but she came up blank.  
She knew that the peak was surrounded in dense magical power, and that quite a few herbs Syaoran needed often grew at the top. But that was about it.

Syaoran glanced over at Sakura, noticing she seemed to be thinking about why they were headed for the top of the mountain. He could tell from her feelings that she was very confused as she searched for the answer, but she wouldn't find it. After all, he was about to put her through her biggest test yet. She didn't know that fertility rites were performed there, because he hadn't bothered to tell her yet.

Finally, they reached the top where the familiar crescent lake was, and despite the season, the place was still surrounded by greenery and colourful blossoms.  
"Is this the result of the magic in the air?" Sakura asked curiously.  
"Yes, it is." Syaoran replied, pleased that she had come to the correct conclusion.  
"Are we here to collect herbs?" she then asked.  
"No."

She looked at him, waiting for an explanation. He turned to her calmly, the wind blowing gently through his hair.  
"It's time for you to perform a fertility rite."  
Sakura stared at him, all thought flung out the window. She blinked. "Huh?"  
Her, perform a fertility rite?

He nodded. "It's time you started to do them yourself. This is just the next step in your training."  
Sakura fidgeted anxiously. "But what if I- "  
"I'll be right here with you." He reassured her.  
Sakura sighed nervously. "Okay…what do I need to do?"

Syaoran nodded to the concave edge of the lake. "Stand over there. Remember what I taught you during your lessons and keep your focus on the matter at hand."

Sakura did as she was instructed and took her stance. From what she understood, she needed to stay where she was and release a steady amount of magical power for several hours without moving in order to complete the rite. She was nervous and scared, worried she would somehow screw it up. Syaoran watched her from nearby, giving her the space she needed.

Sakura concentrated carefully on her task at hand. Not once in the following few hours did it break, but she could feel herself becoming exhausted.

Syaoran frowned as he noticed something was wrong. She had been doing well, so he had let his guard down, but…  
Her legs gave way and she fell.

He caught her before she fell into the lake and checked her temperature, finding she had a fever, and he sighed heavily. She had overthought the process and released slightly too much magic, causing strain on her body.

He carried her home, careful not to cause her any distress in her fragile state, and once she was resting peacefully he set himself to work on making her a medicine to help reduce the symptoms. He wasn't sure if she would worsen or if she would be fine in a few days. Sometimes if a god or goddess made a small mistake during a ritual, they could have serious repercussions, such as falling gravely ill. He hadn't told Sakura any of that information in fear of her panicking too much and making a mistake much worse than todays. He just hoped she would recover soon.

…

Sakura woke with a fuzzy head and the feeling of being incredibly hot. Looking around, she noticed she was home.  
The house was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the fireplace where a small fire was burning. She gathered that it was the middle of the night and that she had been unconscious for quite a while.  
"How are you feeling?"  
She looked over to find Syaoran was lying next to her, watching her softly.  
"What happened…?" she asked.  
"You have a fever. You overthought the process and released slightly more magic than needed and over exerted yourself." He explained.

Sakura closed her eyes, avoiding his gaze. She felt so ashamed. Syaoran squeezed her body gently to comfort her.  
"It's ok, Sakura."  
"But I…"  
"These things take time and practice. Don't be so hard on yourself." He murmured softly.

She watched as he sat up and grabbed something from the bedside table. He held a cup out to her and she sat up, taking it from him.  
"What is it?" she asked.  
"It should help ease any pain you feel. Hopefully this passes soon." He replied softly.  
Sakura smiled, "Thank you. You're always taking care of me."  
"Of course." He returned her smile and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, making her blush prettily.

She swallowed the medicine quickly before lying back down, tangling her legs with his. He pulled her close and she traced his collar bone with her fingers as she placed a kiss there.  
He chuckled, "Not tonight."  
She pouted, making him laugh.

…

Sakura woke feeling well rested the next morning, all sign of fever gone. She looked over to see that Syaoran was still asleep and smiled as she lifted her hand to brush some hair out of his face. He opened his eyes and she blushed.  
"I didn't mean to wake you."  
"I've been awake for a while." He confessed.  
"Oh," she smiled.  
He leant forward, catching her lips with his and pushed her body into the sheets with his.

Some time later, Sakura lay in bed while Syaoran made them both breakfast. She was exhausted from his earlier ministrations, but she didn't mind. She had, in fact, enjoyed their intimacy as always.  
He walked over to her carrying a plate and she sat up, taking it from him.  
"Let's take it easy today-I'm still worried you haven't completely recovered." He said as he sat down with her.  
"Alright," she replied, and then her smile faltered. "What will happen with the ritual?"  
"You don't need to worry about that, love."  
She looked up at him, wondering if he was going to explain, but he didn't.  
"Well… if you say so." She mumbled.

Syaoran looked at her from the corner of his eyes and then smiled. "You don't need to worry because you managed to get most of it done, and it was enough."

She looked at him with surprise. "A-are you sure? But didn't I mess up?"

He nodded, "It wasn't perfect, but I wasn't expecting absolute perfection. It was your first time, after all. Perfection will come with time and practice. To be honest, I couldn't tell if you had succeeded until this morning."

Sakura felt so relieved. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders-she'd been so worried that she had only caused more problems for him, but it seemed that wasn't the case at all. She breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Oh, thank goodness."

He smiled at her, "When you're ready, we'll go out to take care of the usual morning duties."

She smiled brightly and nodded happily. "Sure!"

Once she had finished her meal and gotten dressed, the two headed out, holding hands.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! Thank you for all of your reviews :) I shall endeavour to pay more attention to how I explain certain things in the future, something I need to practice doing better. Thank you for your support and helping me to grow :D**

 **I'm updating early, mostly because the newest ccs clear card chapter came out today and I'm a little excited. Loved By The Gods is coming to an end, soon.**

* * *

Snow crunched beneath Sakura's feet. It was one month into the freezing cold winter, and Sakura was very grateful that Tomoyo had been kind enough to make her some winter clothes.

She carefully made her way down to the village, hiding her presence so she couldn't be seen. She hadn't quite mastered the technique just yet, but Syaoran had said that once she did, it would be like second nature.

She was worried for the children and the young pregnant women, so she wanted to check on them.

There weren't as many people out on the streets, but that wasn't a surprise. Most of the village residents stayed inside, while merchants and other traders did their best out in the bitter cold.  
Sakura watched some kids run around in the snow, having a snowball fight. The sound of their laughter made her smile softly.  
One of the children was the little girl she had helped many months ago, and she was pleased to see that she was well and energetic.

Sakura continued forwards. She stopped occasionally to look at some of the goods being sold or to watch over the younger children, but as it grew late, everyone started to head home.  
She spotted some people going into the pub for a drink and hurried away, squashing the memories that tried to resurface.  
The memories of what that man had done to her were still vivid in her mind despite the amount of time that had passed, and she wished she could just forget the whole ordeal entirely.

She turned to head home but stopped, though, as she heard chatter.  
A group of men had just exited the pub and were talking, all sounding a bit agitated.  
Sakura frowned, and her feet pulled her forward, following them.

"The prince just left without her. Do you think she's still around?" a man in his late thirties spoke.

His friend shrugged. "I don't know, man. Maybe she's pissed and is planning to get retribution on the village for how we treated her. Ever since our Water Goddess came for her, there's been talk that that girl was-or is- a goddess herself."

The first man laughed. "A goddess? Her? No way. Why would she just take the abuse then?"

"According to the children, she was a really sweet woman-wouldn't hurt a fly. Apparently, she'd often give them sweets or heal their injuries for them."

"I still think she's a witch, not a goddess. And so, she should not be kept alive. If we ever see her again, we should kill her."

Sakura felt herself grinding her teeth. What had she ever done to harm them?

"I think if we do harm her, our village will be completely destroyed by our water goddess. Our god might not be too pleased either-there's a rumour going around that our harvest wasn't very good this year because he was upset with her treatment."

"If only there was a way to off him as well, then. We don't need a god to rule our lives anyway." The first man snickered.

Sakura felt angered. Syaoran loved the village, despite its ugly flaws! She had to force herself not to march over to the men and slap them into the next dimension for how they spoke. Not to mention that if they no longer had Syaoran protecting the village, it would very well fall into ruin. They were lucky Syaoran hadn't abandoned them.

"What about that fairy-tale about the god slaying weapons? Think it's real?"

"Ha! I doubt it."

"I'm willing to bet it is."

"I'll believe it when I see proof."

Sickened, Sakura turned and headed back to the forest. She was fuming! How dare they! How dare they talk about wanting to kill Syaoran, who had watched over and cared for the village for hundreds of years! A small part of her wanted to curse them so they couldn't have kids of their own, no matter how badly they might want them, but she shoved the thought aside.

She felt that it was too cruel, and that it was petty. She felt guilty for thinking such a way, and apparently the guilt showed on her face because Syaoran noticed her expression as soon as she walked into the house.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, closing his book and setting it aside so she had his full attention.

Sakura was quiet. She didn't know what to say.

"Sakura? What's happened? Please, talk to me." He pleaded softly.

She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. She felt so ashamed.

"I...I was down at the village to see how things were, and I overheard a conversation between some men." She said quietly. "What they said made me so angry, so angry that I wanted to curse them."

"May I inquire as to what they were talking about?" he asked softly.

He asked mostly because he was curious as to what they had said that had upset her so much that she wanted to curse them. It took a lot to piss Sakura off, after all, so seeing her so upset about something was rather new to him.  
In all the years he had been watching over her, he had never seen her get angry-frustrated, yes, but never angry.

Sakura fidgeted anxiously and then explained exactly what she had heard. She watched his expression, waiting to see possibly disappointment, but instead he shrugged.

"Don't feel so ashamed. You didn't actually curse them, after all-not that I'd have cared-but that's beside the point." Syaoran spoke softly. "It's a good thing you didn't. I don't think you'd be able to live with yourself if you did."

Sakura wasn't sure how she felt about his words.  
"Have you ever cursed someone?" she asked quietly.

He nodded. "I only do it if there's good enough reason to. The only person I've cursed needed a very harsh lesson."

"Who was it? What did they do?" Sakura asked, now curious to know more.

Who had done what to make Syaoran so angry that he'd cursed them?

"It was a young man, who went on to marry into the royal family. Prince Kei is his descendant." Syaoran replied. "I cursed him for trying to delve too far into the realm of the gods. For trying to find a way to revive his younger sister from the dead."

Sakura's eyes widened upon hearing his words. Trying to revive someone? Was that even possible?

"It's not." Syaoran answered her unspoken question. "The dead can never come back to life. It's a rule no one can break-not even the gods."

Sakura lowered her eyes. It was a bitter pill for anyone to swallow, but it was absolute.

"I understand." She said quietly.

He nodded his head and watched her for a while. What she had told him about the conversation the two village men had, had disturbed him for some reason. He decided he needed to keep a very close eye on village activity.  
He stood from his chair and walked over to her, about to tuck some hair behind her ear.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked softly.

Sakura met his gaze and nodded slightly. "A little bit."

Syaoran smiled ever so gently as he cupped her face.

"It's okay. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Though, I am flattered that you got so angry because they were talking about trying to kill me."

Sakura's face turned a deep shade of crimson.

"You don't need to worry. I highly doubt they'll ever be able to."

"I'm just scared of what they might do to you..."

"The only time you need to be worried is if they somehow come into the possession of a god slaying weapon-and that is incredibly unlikely." He said.

"I guess I worry too much, huh?" she mumbled.

Syaoran chuckled. "A little bit."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and leant her head against his chest, breathing in his musky scent.  
He returned her embrace and kissed her temple, making her relax completely in his arms. He smiled, pleased that he had such an effect on her.

"Thank you, Syaoran." She said quietly.

Syaoran squeezed her body gently. "Of course, princess."

…

A nasty form of illness made its way through the village that winter. It was similar to the flu, but it wasn't quite the same. If anything, it was worse.

Sakura sat beside the bed of a three-year-old boy who was violently shivering from fever. She knew he might not make it through the night, but she wanted to at the very least provide him some comfort before he did.  
A tear slid down her cheek as she watched the boy, and she looked up when Syaoran placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
He knelt beside the child's bed. All he could do was ease the boys passing. His tiny body could no longer handle the stress.

Syaoran placed a gentle hand over the boy's eyes. Sakura watched tearfully as the boys breathing became shallow, each breath threatening to be his last.  
Then, his breathing stopped altogether.

Syaoran stood quietly. He wished the vaccine he had mixed together would be ready quicker, but unfortunately that was not how it worked. It took time for these things to be ready, and to work.  
"Syaoran?" Sakura's voice cracked.  
"...We should leave, Sakura." He said quietly.  
She stood, tears streaming down her cheeks, and followed him out.

It was the middle of the night. Both Sakura and Syaoran had been busy watching over the sick while they waited for the vaccine to mature. Syaoran didn't show it much, but it broke his heart every time a child passed away. So far, they had lost four children and twenty-three adults.

Sakura wiped her tears on the edge of her sleeve before taking Syaoran's hand as they headed home. They were both so exhausted that by the time they both got into bed, they fell asleep with ease.

The next two days weren't any easier, either. They lost a couple more elderly, but thankfully no more children were taken by the virus much to Sakura and Syaoran's relief.  
Once the vaccine was ready, Syaoran spread it across the village and waited for it to start its work. It would take several days for it to start working unfortunately, but at least the village wouldn't be wiped out.

Sakura came to sit beside him on the snow beneath a familiar large oak tree. He looked utterly exhausted.  
"Is everything okay?" she asked.  
He nodded. "It's going as expected. Children are recovering quickly. The adults need a bit more time."  
"That's good to hear. I'm glad..." she said softly.  
Syaoran nodded agreement.

It had been rough for the both of them-watching children die and adults writhe in pain. While she resented the people who had hurt her, she would never will such pain upon anyone.

Syaoran sighed softly and stood, holding his hand out for her to take. She reached out and took it, allowing him to help her back to her feet, and they walked together holding hands.

"There you are."

Sakura and Syaoran stopped and turned to see Eriol looking slightly annoyed.  
Syaoran furrowed his brow.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"I've been looking for you everywhere. I need to speak with you about an important matter." Eriol replied.  
"And that is?"  
"It's about the Prince. He's gotten his hands on a god slayer weapon." Eriol explained. "We think he's planning to come back here."

Sakura paled and immediately looked to Syaoran, though his expression was unreadable.

"If he does, he'll have a very hard time finding me or Sakura." He murmured.  
"But Syaoran-!" Sakura wanted to protest but stopped when she noticed his expression.  
"How long?" he asked.  
Eriol shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea. Tomoyo and a group of the other gods and goddesses are searching for any more, but even then, only a select few of us can destroy them and Meiling is in hibernation now."  
Syaoran nodded. "Let me know if I can help. It will also be good for Sakura to see one of these weapons up close."

"Syaoran, what does he mean by only a few of us can destroy the weapons?" Sakura asked.  
"They're not easy to destroy. They take a huge toll on your strength, and it can take several weeks to recover completely from doing so." He explained.  
Sakura held his arm tight.  
"I'll let you know if we find anything. Tomoyo's doing her best to help out as well-she's very concerned about Sakura." Eriol added.  
"Please tell her I'm doing okay, and I'd like to see her next time she's free." Sakura said with a small smile.  
Eriol returned her smile. "Of course. She'll love that."  
Syaoran frowned. "Be careful with the weapons."  
Eriol laughed, "You don't need to worry about me. I better head off-I have some urgent business."  
"Alright. Thanks for letting me know the situation." Syaoran replied.  
"Oh-Yamazaki wanted me to tell you that he wouldn't mind if you cursed the prince, should he show up." Eriol added.

Syaoran didn't say anything and kept a straight face, but Sakura had a feeling he was secretly pleased about the news.  
"Well, goodbye for now." Eriol said, and then he disappeared.

Sakura looked to Syaoran with worry. "Syaoran?"  
He gave her a smile, "Are you worried?"  
She nodded.  
"I'm sure things will be fine. I just hope they don't get too violent..." he murmured. "We'll face the issue when the time comes, but for now, let's just do what we can, alright?"  
Sakura wavered for a moment, but then she smiled.  
"Yes."

Syaoran turned to head back towards the house and Sakura hurried forwards to catch up with him.  
"Who is Yamazaki?" she then asked.  
He smiled, "He watches over the area where the capital city and castle are with his wife, Chiharu. He's a bit of a prankster though."  
"A prankster?" she raised her brow.  
He nodded. "He does things like moving your furniture two inches to the side to confuse you. Small things that are really inconvenient."  
Sakura laughed. "What does his wife do?"  
"Usually she's trying to stop him from causing such havoc." Syaoran shrugged.  
"Oh dear." Sakura giggled, and he smiled.

…

Syaoran ran his fingers through Sakura's soft hair as they lay in bed that night. Her head was resting on his chest as she slept peacefully, her breathing soft and even.  
He was worried by Eriol's news. He had known the Prince would likely try something, but to go so far...

Syaoran sighed heavily. Would the prince be after him, or would he be after Sakura?  
He didn't want to see Sakura suffer any longer. He would do anything to see her smile every day, to make her the happiest woman alive.  
He considered asking her to bind herself to him-not unlike what humans called marriage-but he was worried it might be too soon for that just yet.

He wondered if maybe once she had become a full-fledged goddess and all the mess with the prince and the village was sorted, maybe then he could suggest it.  
But would it make her happy?  
Is that what she wanted?

He squeezed Sakura's body gently and inhaled her sweet scent. He needed to protect her, no matter what.


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's chapter 15! Err, I may have to revisit this chapter later. And, thank you for all of your reviews!**

* * *

Sakura was surprised to see Eriol arrive during one of her lessons, though he didn't look happy. Instead he looked rather serious, and worried. Syaoran immediately knew that something was amiss-he remembered Eriol's warning from the other week quite well, as did Sakura.

Sakura looked between the two, wondering who was going to speak first. Syaoran stared at his friend with an unreadable expression.

"What is it?" he finally asked.

Eriol glanced at Sakura for a moment before speaking. "There's been some strange activity around the shore. Could you go and check it out?" Eriol explained.

Syaoran looked thoughtful. "Very well. I'll go now."

Eriol nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry for springing this on you so suddenly. I'd ask Meiling, if she were awake."

"No, it's fine. Besides, it will be a good learning experience for Sakura."

Eriol sighed heavily. "Learning experience, huh? Sure, buddy."

Syaoran frowned, "We're going now."

"Okay, okay! Send me a message if you find anything."

Syaoran just nodded.

Eriol bid farewell to Sakura before leaving, and she looked to Syaoran for an explanation.

Syaoran noticed. "This will be a good lesson for you."

"Okay..." she replied, still unsure of what was going on.

He turned and started walking and she followed behind, still feeling completely and utterly confused. He turned and held out his hand and she took it.

"What...?"

"We need to travel some distance, and it will take too long on foot. Hold on tight." Syaoran spoke, pulling her against him.

"O-ok..." Sakura wrapped her arms around his waist and he murmured a few strange sentences Sakura didn't understand.

Bright light surrounded them, and Sakura shut her eyes tightly. Then, she heard seagulls and the crashing of waves against the shore. The air smelt of salt.

"You can open them now." Syaoran murmured.

Sakura cracked open her eyes and looked around. They looked to be in front of a cavern of some sort by the sea.

Syaoran scanned the area. "What have they found...?" he murmured as he stepped foot inside.

Sakura followed quickly behind and looked around at the cavern walls as they walked. The further they walked, the darker it got, so Syaoran produced a small ball of light to light the way.

"Syaoran? I'm starting to feel sick..."

"So, you can sense it too." He murmured.

"Sense what?" she asked.

"This." They entered a slightly larger area and in the middle was a large, black dirty weapon sticking out from the ground. It looked like some kind of lance.

"What is that...?" Sakura asked.

"It's a weapon from that war I was teaching you about a while ago." Syaoran replied, walking over to it.

"You mean... it's a weapon used to kill gods?" she asked.

"Yes. All of the weapons were supposed to have been destroyed, but it seems some have still remained." Syaoran held his hand out and Sakura watched as he obliterated it.

"There's no telling how many of these weapons still exist." Syaoran murmured. "I'm willing to bet that was what the humans were trying to get out of here. And the prince has one in his grasp…"

Syaoran had a very ominous feeling. The same feeling that had been plaguing him for weeks since Eriol's news. He just wished he knew exactly what was going to happen.

Sakura noticed Syaoran looked considerably exhausted and started to worry. "Syaoran...?"

Sensing her worry, Syaoran gave her a soft smile. "Destroying it took a large amount of my magic. I'm just tired."

"You should rest." She replied.

"I will once we get home. Let's go, love."

True to his word, Syaoran did rest when they returned home. As soon as they entered the house, he made for the bed and pretty much fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillows.

Sakura smiled and pulled the blankets up over him before moving to start preparation for dinner. While dinner was cooking, she stepped outside and sighed softly.

"What's on your mind?"

Tomoyo's voice startled her. She looked around and spotted her by the birdbath.

"Nothing really." Sakura smiled. "Is there something you needed?"

Tomoyo nodded towards the door.

"His aura seems quite weak. Is he resting?"

Sakura nodded. "He destroyed a weapon that was made to kill gods."

Tomoyo looked thoughtful. "I guess that would do it. Could you pass something on for me?"

Sakura nodded, "Sure."

"According to my resources, the prince is headed back here for some unknown reason. He seems to be carrying something with him, but I don't know what. We suspect it's a god slaying weapon, so you and Syaoran should both be very careful." Tomoyo told her.

Sakura nodded, "I'll tell him as soon as he wakes."

"Thanks Sakura."

"How come you can't tell what it is?" Sakura asked her friend curiously.

Tomoyo sighed heavily. "It's concealed by some sort of cloth that's blocking our senses. I've never encountered something like it, and Eriol certainly never told me of anything that had such power. I'm a bit annoyed, honestly."

Sakura wondered if Syaoran knew anything about it. She made a mental note to ask him later when he woke up.

"How has your training been going?" Tomoyo asked with a smile.

"It's had its ups and downs like always. Syaoran never goes easy on me." Sakura replied, "There's so much to learn…"

Tomoyo giggled, "There is a lot, isn't there? It took me one hundred and fifty years to learn everything, and even now I'm still learning new things."

Sakura's eyes widened. "That long?"

"Sure-you said yourself that there was a lot to learn." Tomoyo shrugged.

"That's true…" Sakura mumbled.

"Sorry I couldn't stay long," Tomoyo smiled apologetically, "I'll come by when I'm free again, okay?"

Sakura smiled, "I'd love that, thank you."

Tomoyo gave her a tight hug and then released her, and Sakura watched as she disappeared.

...

Syaoran woke the next morning besides Sakura, who was still deeply asleep.

He leant over and kissed her softly before sitting up. He was a little frustrated with how weak he still felt. He hated that it took so long for him to recover his power after destroying one of those things. He knew he'd have to take it easy for a while, and he still felt uneasy.  
Syaoran frowned. He just hoped that things would stay peaceful until he had all of his power back.

He stood and dressed himself in a usual shirt and pair of pants before he started on making breakfast.

About an hour later, Sakura groaned and rolled over, cracking open her eyes. Syaoran smiled.

"Good morning, love."

She sat up and rubbed her eyes as he came to sit beside her.

"How are you feeling?" she mumbled tiredly.

"Exhausted. My power may take a while to replenish." He answered honestly.

"Oh...how long?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Most likely several weeks."

She nodded understanding. "Tomoyo popped around last night."

He raised his brow and she explained what Tomoyo had told her.

Syaoran sighed heavily. "What is he up to...?"

Sakura looked nervous. Syaoran reached out and gently cupped her face. "He won't lay a finger on you."

She leant into his palm and he pulled her in for a hug, holding her tightly. But it wasn't herself that she was concerned about-she was worried about him.  
She buried her face in his chest and focused on calming herself, knowing that nothing good would come of worrying too much.

Syaoran pulled away after a while and kissed her softly. "Let's go out for a while." He murmured.

She looked at him curiously. "Where to?"

"We could go sit in a café down at the village." He suggested.

"Won't they recognise me?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yes, they probably will. We don't have to go if you don't want to."

She shrugged, "It's no different to before. Let's go." She smiled.

…

The two sat in the small café together, completely undisturbed. Sakura received a few looks, but no one shouted at her or tried to hurt her, which was a relief. Sakura nibbled on her cake, wondering where the sudden attitude adjustment had come from, but shrugged it off.

They stayed for a while, and left when they both started to get bored.

…

Sakura woke in the middle of the night to angry shouts. Confused and tired, she stood and dressed herself. Syaoran was still sound asleep, no doubt still replenishing his power.  
She walked to the door and opened it, stepping out only to find a small, rowdy group of villagers and at the front of it all, the prince.

"There she is!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"I knew she was a witch! She appeared from thin air!"

Sakura froze. She had forgotten to use the spell to hide her presence.

Some held pitchforks and others held torches. The prince held a long spear in his hand, made from a familiar black stone.  
A weapon to kill a god.

"Where is he? Where is this so-called god?" the prince sneered.

"Leave." Sakura growled, though she was startled by her own voice.

"We're not leaving! You're a curse on our village!" one of the men shouted. Shouts of agreement followed. Sakura recognised him from when she had over heard those men talking about wanting to kill Syaoran.

Sakura was beginning to feel irritated.

"If you don't leave, I will be forces to use other methods against you."

Prince Kei laughed. "What could _you_ possibly do? Rumour has it that you couldn't even hurt a fly."

"You know what." She spat, trying to act tough, but the truth of the matter was that she knew she wouldn't be able to hurt them. She didn't have it in her to do anything of the sort.

Something collided with her body and she felt herself slide across the forest floor. Her entire body ached. He had hit her with the weapon in his hands. She struggled to move, and by the time she managed to shift some of her weight, it was too late.  
The tip of the black spear was headed straight for her head.

Blood splattered over her face and chest.

In front of her stood Syaoran with a spear through his body. He coughed violently, and a great deal of blood sprayed forth.

"SYAORAN!" she screamed as he fell forward and into her arms.

Prince Kei started towards them, ready to kill both her and Syaoran, but stopped as a large serpent dragon rose from the lake, opening its jaws and releasing a deafening roar.  
The goddess of the lake had been woken, and she was _pissed_.

Most of the villagers ran in terror. Those who stayed, including the prince, were then hit with a vortex of water.  
Prince Kei regained his feet and the serpent dragon lowered its face to his level, giving him a menacing stare and low growl. He froze as her crimson eyes stared into his soul.  
The serpent dragon picked him up in its jaws much to his pure horror.

"Stop!" he begged.

He was shaken around violently before carelessly tossed back on the ground. He stood-though not without a few bruises and broken bones-and fled immediately before the goddess could inflict any more damage, possibly even killing him.

Sakura could feel Syaoran growing colder. The blood continued to rapidly spill from his wound, frightening Sakura.

"Syaoran, no..."

The dragon faded away and Meiling landed on the forest earth, immediately headed towards them.

"Meiling, please, what do I do? He'll die!" she panicked.

Meiling grabbed Sakura by the shoulders. "Calm yourself! Sakura, you're a goddess of health, fertility and love-you can heal him!" she spoke almost harshly.

Sakura shook her head, "No...I can't..."

Meiling shook her. "Snap out of it, right now! Otherwise, he really will die!"

Sakura froze, tears still leaking down her face.

"Come on. You know what you need to do." Meiling added in a softer tone.

Hands shaking, Sakura nodded. She grabbed hold of the spear tight and after counting to three in her mind, pulled it from his body.  
Syaoran shouted in pain.  
Sakura immediately laid her hands over his wound and a warm, gentle light enveloped her and Syaoran.

Meiling watched as the bleeding stopped. The wound started to close. The light dissipated, and Meiling looked back up to Sakura.

"It's a difficult wound to heal. It will take quite some time for him to recover."

"How long?" Sakura's voice was barely audible, but Meiling heard her.

"Possibly a few months. I'll take this weapon." Meiling murmured, picking up the black spear. It disappeared, presumably to the bottom of the lake for the moment. "I'll help you carry him inside."

"Thank you, Meiling." Sakura whispered.

Once Syaoran was settled, Sakura turned to Meiling who was watching the god with a vague expression.

"Meiling...?"

"Yes?" Meiling asked, turning her crimson eyes to Sakura.

"What do I do...?"

Meiling smiled softly. "Try not to worry so much. He'll hopefully be awake tomorrow, though he will still be incredibly weak."

Sakura nodded.

"Call on me should you need anything." The goddess added as she walked to the door. "I'll keep an eye on the village for you. I doubt they'll try anything given that I've just scared them half to death."

Again, she nodded. Then, Meiling left.

Sakura sat alone beside Syaoran and reached out for his hand, taking it in both of hers. She felt terrible. If she hadn't left the house, he wouldn't have gotten this badly hurt. If she had remembered to use that spell, maybe he'd be fine.

"Syaoran, I'm so sorry..."

...

Warmth enveloped Syaoran's sore, aching body. Something cool brushed his forehead. He struggled to recall what had happened. He remembered waking to find Sakura had stepped outside, faced with angry villagers and the prince. He had seen the spear heading for her and had jumped in front of it.  
The pain had been unbearable.  
Usually, regular weapons would shatter upon contacting his aura, but the weapons that killed gods were specifically designed to pierce the aura and organs and stop the generation of magic.

The smell of cherry blossoms brought him to his senses. Syaoran managed to open his eyes and blinked a couple of times. He turned his head as he felt warmth surrounding his hand and spotted Sakura holding it as she slept. He smiled softly and ran his fingers through her hair gently.

Sakura roused from her sleep and opened her eyes.

"Syaoran?" she murmured.

"Hey." He whispered.

She frowned, "Are you ok? Do you need anything?"

Syaoran just smiled softly. "I'm a bit sore, but I'm ok. Are you hurt?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not hurt."

He turned his head and spotted several tools on the bedside table. Some were covered in blood and it looked like he'd been given some different medicines to help his recovery.

"Have you been looking after me?" he asked.

She lowered her eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry...if I hadn't gone outside, then you wouldn't be so badly hurt."

He shook his head. "Don't blame yourself."

Sakura raised her eyes to meet his warm amber gaze.

"But Syaoran..."

"No buts." He frowned.

For a moment they stared at each other. He could easily see that she was plagued with guilt, but there was no point in lingering on the past. Gently, he tugged her face towards his and kissed her softly, and it quickly grew more fierce. She parted breathless and smiled.

"Breakfast?"

He smiled mischievously. "Mm... I'm thinking something else first." He said, and pulled her in for another kiss and something more.

Sakura finished preparing breakfast and sat with Syaoran on the bed to eat.

"What's been going on with the villagers?" Syaoran asked. He had been out for a few days and he felt bad for making Sakura worry so much.

"They're scared, I think. The prince is still around...I think he's planning something." Sakura murmured. "The villagers don't seem to be in on it this time."

Syaoran looked thoughtful. "Interesting..."

Sakura stayed silent as she ate.

"Sakura, there's something I need you to do."

…

Prince Kei was startled when Sakura suddenly appeared in front of him looking more graceful and slightly intimidating than he'd ever seen her.  
He said nothing as she sat down. Sakura smoothed out her skirts and the released a soft sigh, aware that he was watching her warily.

"Are you aware of the repercussions of your actions?" she asked.

"Go ahead and kill me if that's what you're here for." He growled.

"If it were Syaoran, I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate." Sakura murmured.

He said nothing.

"You are the heir to the throne of this kingdom. We can't have you dying." She said, "You will leave here and return to the castle to take up your duties. You will look after this country properly, and never seek the power of the unknown. You will never return here unless it's on business."

She spoke coldly, and her voice held no hesitation. She was no longer the shy timid girl she used to be.

"Do you hear me?"

Prince Kei only nodded in terror.

"Good." She murmured. "Syaoran has a message for you, by the way."

"And that is?" he asked impatiently.

Sakura recalled Syaoran's words. "He says enjoy your next sneeze, whatever that means."

The prince only looked at her with utter confusion as she stood. Then, she left, but not without adding, "The gods are always watching you. So, I wouldn't try anything stupid if I were you."

She was fed up. The villagers who had tormented her, and the prince, could all go to hell. She didn't care. Not anymore.

* * *

 **Meiling: -chomp chomp- "ugh, tastes nasty."**

 **As always, constructive criticism is always welcome. Also, if you feel I could expand a bit more on something, feel free to let me know. What and how would be greatly appreciated, just to get my mind jogging.**

 **Err, you'll find out the curse next chapter. You'll either really hate me for it or be amused, or maybe a bit of both.**


	16. Epilogue

**Saving A/N for the end. Enjoy!**

* * *

Several weeks had passed since Prince Kei's attack, and since Sakura had started filling in for Syaoran while he recovered from his injuries. The fire opal was a huge help in speeding the healing process, and she was so grateful to Sylvia for having found the stone in the first place.

She was a little peeved that the arrogant bastard of a prince had gotten away without many injuries, but after Meiling had told her of the curse Syaoran had put on him-to turn into a goose every time he sneezed-she had been secretly pleased. It was humiliating and terribly inconvenient, and a whole lot of other things-like hilarious. His retainer had warned him not to mess with the gods, but he didn't listen, and now he was paying the price.

Sakura stared at the village from where she stood on top of the little mountain at the edge of the forest. They were a couple of weeks into Spring, so flowers were blooming and the trees vibrant and blossoming.  
Deep down, she resented the village people. Some of them had turned their backs on the god who had cared for and watched over them for so long, and that made her furious.

They had burned her house down and treated her cruelly for years, but she couldn't find it in her heart to hate them for that, because she knew that she was a being they couldn't comprehend. She accepted that. But as soon as they dared to turn their backs on Syaoran, who had watched and guided them for hundreds of years, she refused to forgive them. They had betrayed Syaoran and so they deserved the worst punishment possible.

That was how she felt.

She started her way forwards towards the village, steeling her resolve.  
She would not forgive the few people who had threatened harm upon Syaoran, but she could forgive everyone else. They had taken no part in trying to slay their god, so they shouldn't be judged.

The market was lively with the spring sunshine warming the air. Children ran around playing together, and Sakura smelt freshly baked bread as she passed the bakery. There were lots of colourful clothes available for purchase and beautiful hats and materials too.  
It seemed everything was going well.  
She walked through the streets, checked on newborn babies and their mothers, and watched children play with their friends. She smiled.

She had learned how to hide her presence, and thus was not seen by any of the village people. She walked among them, listening to the chatter around her.  
She sat in the village square for a while until she heard the desperate cries of a mother.

"Please, my daughter is dying! Please help her, someone!"

Sakura spotted the hysterical woman and recognised her as one of the many who had tried to kill her and Syaoran.  
She felt angry. Angry that she would dare to even ask the god she had betrayed for help.

"God has abandoned my child!" she cried.

Sakura stood. Everyone's life would someday come to an end. It was not up to a god to save everyone's life. If it indeed happened that this child was meant to pass away so soon, then Sakura would make her passing more comfortable with as little pain as possible.

She made her way to the house and found the little girl resting in bed with a high fever. Sakura sat down beside her and was surprised when the little girl opened her eyes.  
They seemed to lock with hers.

"Are you a goddess...?" the child rasped.

Sakura felt sadness pinch her heart. Those who were close to deaths door could sometimes see beings from the other side.  
She smiled softly at the little girl. "Yes."

"Am I going to die...?"

Sakura didn't answer because she didn't know. Instead she reached out and smoothed back some of her damp hair from her forehead.  
"Shh, just rest now...it's alright." Sakura soothed her, and the child's eyelids began to droop.

Sakura watched as the child slept. She leant in and gently kissed her forehead as if the child were her own, and she stood.  
She left the house and continued wandering around the village for a while, watching the people from afar.

Then, she stumbled upon a familiar area. She stared down the street for a long time before she gained the courage to step forward. Slowly, she walked to the place where her house had once stood, and her eyes widened upon seeing the sight before her eyes.

It was a stunning garden, full of bright colourful blossoms and a stone fountain with intricate carvings along the edges, while the centrepiece was of a woman holding her child close.  
There was an arch with climbing roses crawling up it, and beneath it was a stone bench to sit on. It was a beautifully designed area.

"So, you finally came."

Sakura looked up with shock as Syaoran stepped out from behind the fountain.

"Syaoran? You should be resting! What are you doing out here...?" she fussed.  
"I'm well enough to take a stroll." He frowned.  
Sakura sighed softly and relaxed.  
"You were waiting for me to find this place?" she asked.  
He nodded. "I've known about it for quite some time. It was built for you."  
"For me?"

He gestured to the metal plate on the front of the fountain. Sakura stepped forward, finding there were words carved into the plates surface.

 _-For the Goddess who watches over and protects our children and mothers'. May she find this garden to her liking, and bless our children with her love-_

"They're planning a fertility festival in your name." Syaoran added.

Sakura didn't know what to say or feel. It was all so much to take in.  
Syaoran watched her softly, reading her emotions carefully.

"What's going through your head?" he asked softly. "You're not angry. I'm surprised."

Sakura reached out and touched the cool stone. "It's beautiful..."

"The villagers made this because they realised who you were and felt terribly guilty for what they did." Syaoran said nonchalantly.

Sakura's eyes widened, and then she burst into a fit of giggles.  
"I'm willing to bet that was your doing."  
He looked away. "I may have had something to do with it."

"Thank you Syaoran." She smiled softly. "I'll visit this place every day."

He smiled softly and seated himself on the edge of the fountain, and Sakura joined him.

"We've been through a lot in this last year, haven't we?" he murmured.  
Sakura nodded and rested her head against his shoulder.  
"Yeah...I'm kind of grateful I got tossed into the lake-I wouldn't have met you, otherwise." She said.  
Syaoran chuckled. "We would have met."  
"You think so?"  
"I know so."

Sakura smiled. She really did love him. She wondered if they'd have still fallen in love if they had met under different circumstances but dismissed the thought. She was sure she would have fallen in love with him anyway, no matter how they had met.  
She realised Syaoran had gone very quiet and she looked up to see he seemed to be deep in thought.

"Syaoran?" she called his name.  
After a moment, he turned to her. "Sakura...would you bind yourself to me?" he asked.

It took several seconds for Sakura to register his words and their meaning.  
The intimate act was almost the same as getting married. Neither would be able to live without the other.  
She found herself speechless, and for a moment Syaoran thought she wouldn't say anything.

"Yes." She whispered.

He smiled and leant his forehead against hers for a moment, and then kissed her softly.  
"I love you." He whispered softly, making her cheeks turn a pretty pink.

"Mummy, mummy! Look-the goddess is sitting on the fountain!" a little girls voice startled the pair, and they froze.

"Yes honey, the statue of our beloved goddess is beautiful, isn't it?" the girls' mother smiled.

"No!" The child whined, "I mean I actually _saw_ her with our god!"

"Oh really? Were they happy?" The mother asked as she steered her child away, most likely thinking that her child's imagination was running wild.

"I think so, and..."

Sakura and Syaoran both blushed. They'd been caught by a child because they had let their guards down.  
Sakura giggled, "Oops."  
He smiled and stood, holding his hand out to her. "Come on-let's head home."

She took his hand and walked with him, heading back to their home they shared.

…

- _Many Years Later…-_

Warm sunlight bathed the meadow Sakura was sitting in, stray petals fluttering about in the wind. Sitting in her lap was a little girl who looked no older than four, with soft wavy auburn hair falling past her shoulders and pale skin. Her little hands were busy making what looked to be a flower crown.  
Sakura watched her daughter tenderly. She was a sweet child with a loving heart towards all life. She was always cheerful and energetic, much like Sakura had been in her young age.

Sakura wasn't sure how many years had passed since she had bound herself to Syaoran, but the villagers who had tormented her had long since passed away, leaving behind a new generation. The fertility festival was to be held later that evening in her honour.

During the time that had passed, stories had arisen about her and her generous heart, about how she had forgiven the town for their horrible attitude towards her but invoked her wrath when some turned on their god. She wasn't sure where the story had started, or how, but it served as a reminder, much like the curse on the prince that had caused quite a bit of gossip among the citizens when they found out about it. The memory still made Sakura laugh.

It had been during the coronation ceremony when it happened. Something had caused him to sneeze, which had triggered his transformation into a goose. Many had been baffled and confused, while others had thought it was utterly hilarious. Some had been horrified, shouting that their ruler was cursed-they weren't wrong, either. It served as a humiliating reminder not to mess with the gods.

The young girl lifted her head and turned her attention to something else. Sakura followed her line of vision and spotted Syaoran approaching.  
Her daughter stood and ran over to Syaoran, who lifted her into his arms with ease. Sakura stood and walked over with a smile on her face. At long last, she had found happiness with their little family.

* * *

 **So, this was the final chapter. I've had it written for a long time now (i tend to finish writing stories before I start uploading them, or I wait until I've written ten chapters and then start uploading). I'm quite happy with this chapter even though it's short, and I believe there are some things I definitely need to expand on or explain better, so at some point I will revisit this story to sort out those issues. Won't be anytime soon though. If you do have questions about the story, feel free to message me, I'll try and answer them as best as I can.**

 **As always, HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed, at any time, and to those who stuck with me all throughout the story. I know it's not a very long story, but I still enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoyed reading. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are :) and, as always, constructive criticism is welcome. I believe some of my weaknesses include world building and describing some things, or scenarios, so they make proper sense. Any advice on how I can improve that is welcome. (Just don't insult me. And by insult i mean calling me things like stupid lol, not that anyone has recently)**

 **Errm, well, I guess this is farewell for now. Or, you can head on over to my new fic, Unwilling, which has been sitting on my hard drive since 2015 screaming for my attention, and/or you can head over to The Betrayal!**

 **Catch you later, you amazing human beings!**


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